


A Much Needed Hero

by HappyLlama160



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst with a Happy Ending, Crushes, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Not Actually Unrequited Love, Physical Abuse, References to Depression, Romance, Self-Discovery, Slow Burn, Wholesome, idk its zelink read it, its not all sad i promise
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-10
Updated: 2021-01-24
Packaged: 2021-03-13 21:54:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 20
Words: 38,996
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28660545
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HappyLlama160/pseuds/HappyLlama160
Summary: Zelda is a lonely Junior at Hyrule High School. She is constantly a victim of Ganondorf and his gang's bullying.Link is a popular basketball player who everyone wants to be friends with. He didn't even know Zelda existed until they were put into the same group in biology.When Link notices Ganondorf's awful treatment of Zelda will he become the knight in shining armor she's been waiting for?
Relationships: Link/Zelda (Legend of Zelda)
Comments: 68
Kudos: 79





	1. Outcast

[Zelda]

A hot tear traced its way down Zelda's cheek, the only indication of her internal heartache.

"Her hair is always a mess, it's like she doesn't even care about her appearance," said a pretty girl a few lockers down continuing the conversation she and her friend had been having.

"Plus she acts like she knows better than everyone else." The friend contributed, unaware that the subject of their hurtful gossip was steps away listening to every word. "It's no wonder she doesn't have any friends."

Zelda's heart squeezed, that last comment had struck home. The girls weren't wrong about her not having friends but their reasoning was wrong. She didn't have friends due to Ganondorf and his cronies' bullying. He constantly was spreading rumors, making fun of her appearance, and discouraging others from associating with her. Therefore, it came as no shock to Zelda that the gossiping girls next to her believed Ganondorf's lies, but that didn't stop the words from hurting.

The starting bell's shrill ring rang over the speakers. Zelda took the opportunity to gather the remainder of her things, and head to her first-hour class, history. A slight smile ghosted over her lips, she loved learning and found comfort in gathering wisdom and knowledge. Zelda had learned over the last three years that people can be cruel, but knowledge is steady and unchanging. It had been her friend when she had had no others, and that's why, despite her better judgment, she smiled as she entered the classroom.

Zelda walked to the back corner of the room and slid into her desk. If she'd been able to pick her seat she would've been in the front row dead center. It was the ideal spot. She was the closest to the board which allowed her to learn better, and close enough to the teacher to discourage bullies.

"Why are you smiling?"

Zelda's smile faltered, her gaze lifting upwards.

Nabaroo's cruel yet pretty face assaulted her eyes. "I asked you a question."

"I wasn't smiling." Zelda cast her eyes down.

"Are you suggesting I'm lying?"

"No that would be absurd." Zelda kept her gaze focused downwards, her hands fidgeting under the desk. "I'm sorry."

"Look at me."

"Um.. what?"

"Look. At. Me."

Zelda gulped and looked up. Nabooru smiled. "That's better. There are those ugly, small green eyes that no one will ever fall in love with."

"Well, physical beauty isn't the only thing that makes a person attractive."

Nabooru snorted. "Sure, that's what ugly people, like you, tell themselves. The truth is that no one will ever like you. Your personality is blah and your beauty is nonexistent." Nabooru patted Zelda's cheek, her lip pouted with false sympathy. "You'll forever be alone."

Zelda bit her tongue, refusing to respond to Nabooru's words. She was only saying those things to get a reaction out of her, and Zelda would not give her that. Instead she retrieved her notebook and started writing,

"I'm not done talking to you." Nabooru slammed her hand down onto Zelda's page.

Zelda ignored her and just wrote around her hand. She wasn't exactly sure what she was writing, but her mind and hand were being kept busy. That's what mattered.

The tardy bell rang and their teacher Mr. Robbie called for the class to take their seats. Nabooru growled in frustration and took her seat to the right of Zelda.

"You'll regret this, pig," said Nabooru, using her favorite nickname for Zelda.

Zelda felt a shiver of fear race down her spine, but she tried not to think about Nabooru's threat. She turned her attention to the lesson and soon she was so preoccupied with her notes that she forgot to worry.

At the end of class, Zelda was forced to worry once again as Nabooru dragged her finger over her throat and then pointed at her. Zelda gulped and hurried out of the classroom. Maybe if she rushed to her next class Ganondorf and Nabooru couldn't catch up with her.

Her hope faded as soon as she rounded a corner into the English hall; Ganondorf and Nabooru were waiting for her. Before she could make a run for the girls' bathroom Ganondorf met her eyes and gestured for her to come over. Zelda felt beads of sweat form on her forehead, but she waded through the swarm of students heading to class. She knew that if she ran now things would only get worse.

"Nabooru said that you ignored her in first hour," said Gannon as Zelda came to a halt in front of him, eyes focused on the floor. "Is that true?"

Zelda kept her gaze steadfastly on the ground. She had never noticed before how the old carpet's design intertwined polka dots, rectangles, and triangles; it reminded her of her geometry class.

"Is there something on the floor?"

Zelda shook her head, scanning her surroundings for anyone or anything that could help her. But like usual no one was there to help her- she was on her own.

"I still haven't gotten an answer." Ganondorf grabbed her chin and forced her head up. "Did you ignore Nabooru?"

Zelda couldn't think of any way out of this other than to play along. "Yes."

Ganondorf laughed, releasing Zelda's face. "The pig speaks!" He crossed his arms. "You know it's rude to ignore someone, but don't worry I'll teach you some manners."

Hot white anger started to boil in Zelda's blood, and hatred so powerful she could almost taste it, rumbled in her stomach. How dare he accuse her of being rude when for the past three years he had made her life miserable.

"Look who's talking." Zelda spat, finally losing her cool. "You couldn't be taught manners if your life depended on it. I am so tired of you treating me like garbage. What did I ever do to you?" Zelda took in a shaky breath. "You are a cruel, manipulative jerk!"

Ganondorf's hands clenched into fists, anger like she'd never seen before flashed in his eyes.

Next to him, Nabooru squealed, "Oh no- I can't believe you just said that!"

Ganondorf snarled and advanced towards Zelda. She stumbled backward trying to process everything that had just happened.

The tardy bell rang, its shrill cry sounded like angelic trumpets to Zelda as it gave her an excuse to join the crowd of late students dashing to class. She ran to her next class, not looking back. She had been an idiot to say those things to Ganondorf, and she would pay a hard price for them.

The next two hours passed in a blur, Zelda was too worried about what Ganondorf's revenge might be to focus much on her classwork. When the lunch bell rang Zelda was the first one out the door. If she could just make it to her car before he caught up to her then everything would be fine. She navigated the halls, dodging in between couples and groups of friends all heading to lunch.

"Zelda!"

She grimaced there was no way Gannondorf could have caught up to her this fast, right? She ducked her head and tried to blend in with the crowd.

"Hey, Zelda!"

She was almost to the outside doors- just a few more feet!

"Wait up." Someone gently grabbed her elbow. She flinched, closing her eyes and bracing herself for whatever Ganondorf was going to do to her, but nothing happened. Slowly, she opened her eyes and, to her surprise, found not Ganondorf standing there but Link Hylia. He was wearing his basketball jersey and his blond hair was slightly messy. But his good looks weren't what caught her off guard. He was her partner in biology, but he was mega-popular, so why in the world was he talking to her?

"I know you heard me," Link said, his eyebrows furrowed in concern. "Are you okay?"

"Uh, yep!" Zelda forced herself to smile and be polite even though the door's promise of freedom was so very enticing.

"You looked kinda freaked out when I stopped you-"

"Oh I'm just a little tense, that's all." She rubbed the back of her neck trying not to think about the time ticking away before Ganondorf found her. "Got lots to do."

"I feel that, um, are you ready for biology next hour?"

"Yeah, about that, I'm actually headed home right now so I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

"Okay, I'll see you-"

Before he could finish Zelda was already out the doors, gulping in deep breaths of delicious air. She had done it! She was home free now, and a pleased smile crossed her face. Now, where had she parked her car?

Zelda stopped dead in her tracks, she had seen her car, and the sight of it brought tears to her eyes. Her car was covered in awful graffiti... about her. Words such as pig, ugly, and nerd were crudely written on her car in paint that, hopefully, would come off.

All around her other students were whispering and pointing at the car and then her. A few even started laughing. Zelda tried her best to keep her head high as she climbed into her car, but as soon as she was inside the floodgates opened. Crying, she sped home.

***

Zelda threw her keys on the counter and made it to her room before she crumpled to the ground, sobbing. How could people be so cruel? What had she done to deserve this? What was wrong with her?

She didn't have the answers, but what she did know was that it hurt. It hurt knowing that her best was never good enough. It hurt knowing that she would never have friends. It hurt knowing that she would never be loved. 

Zelda drew in a shaky breath and wiped at her nose. She noticed out of the corner of her eye her reflection in her wardrobe mirror. Zelda stood up and crossed to the mirror. Gazing at her reflection, her heart broke once more. She looked a mess- a lonely, sad mess.

"Oh, Zelda," She spoke quietly to her reflection. "If only you were a princess then a knight would come and save you."


	2. Help

[Link]

A frown spread across Link's face as he examined his latest math test. He had received a whopping seventy out of a hundred. It was a C, meaning he had passed, but if his math grade kept slipping he'd be kicked off of the basketball team. Link huffed and ran a hand through his hair. He had meant to study last night, but he'd been so exhausted after practice that the numbers had seemed to float off the page.

"You okay, dude?" Sheik asked, leaning across the aisle separating their desks to try and see his score.

Link hid his math test friend from his best friend's prying eyes. "Yep."

Sheik flopped back into his seat. "You know you're one failing grade away from being benched, right?"

"I had no idea," Link rolled his eyes.

Malon gently hit the back of Sheik's head. "Leave him alone, Sheik."

"Ow," Sheik protested, rubbing the back of his head as if the playful hit had actually hurt.

"Oh stop being such a baby," Navi said from behind Link.

That was one nice thing about his math class, all of his friends were in it, though maybe that was one of the reasons his grade wasn't doing so hot.

Their teacher, Mr. Beedle, cleared his throat and glared at the group of friends. "Would you please all listen while I'm teaching?"

They all muttered apologies and returned to taking notes. Throughout the lesson Link tried his best to understand what was going on but numbers just weren't his forte. The lecture seemed to last an eternity before the sweet ring of the bell released him from his math prison.

"You guys go ahead," Link said, waving his friends along. "I'm right behind you."

His friends waved goodbye, and Link waited for the rest of the class to filter out before he hesitantly approached Mr. Beedle.

"What can I do for you, Link?" He asked, organizing some papers on his already neat desk.

Link gulped, his palms starting to sweat. "You see, sir, I really can't afford to let my grade slip anymore, and I just can't seem to make sense of all these numbers and equations."

"I see," Mr. Beedle tapped his fingers on his desk. "Would you be open to receiving help from a tutor? Maybe one of your friends-"

"No!" Link bit his lip. "I mean, I'm happy to receive help from a tutor, just not from my friends." Link dropped his voice. "I don't want them to know I've been, uh, struggling."

"Understandable, let me think..." Mr. Beedle furrowed his brow in thought, and his fingers drummed ever faster on the desk. "Hmm, do you know Zelda King?"

Link paused, the name sounded familiar. "Maybe?"

"She's short, with long blonde hair, and is very quiet."

Link snapped. "Yes, I do know her. She's in my biology class, I think we're partners for this next unit."

Mr. Beedle leaned back in his chair. "Zelda is smart and very patient, so I'd imagine she'd make an excellent tutor. You should ask her and see if she can help you out."

"Will do! Thank you." Link turned to leave.

"Link?"

"Yes."

"Can I tell you something in confidence?"

"Of course."

Mr. Beedle hesitated. "I think Zelda is struggling too, but more with the social aspect of school. She's lonely and doesn't seem to have friends. You're a good kid, Link, and I think if you wanted to you could really help her out. Now I'm not asking you to be best friends with her, but if you could maybe be extra kind to her, I'd appreciate it." He smiled. "Plus that'd probably increase your chance of convincing her to be your tutor."

"I'll try, Mr. Beedle, and thank you." Link turned and this time he actually left the room, his mind in deep thought.

He really needed help with math and maybe getting tutored by Zelda would help him. But could he also help her? To be honest, Link hadn't known she'd existed until yesterday when they'd been paired up in Biology. It's not like he'd purposely overlooked her, it's just that she's extremely quiet- almost like she tries to make herself invisible.

The tardy bell rang, and Link hurried off to his third hour hoping he could convince Ms. Impa to excuse his tardy.

***

"Can you believe her!" Sheik complained as they exited Ms. Impa's class and started towards the lunchroom. "Two pages of homework! I have a life you know."

"Well it's not her fault you wasted the time she gave us in class to work on it."

"Come on man, you're supposed to have my back."

Link laughed. "You're right, my bad," He cleared his throat. "I can't believe Ms. Impa gave us homework, it's so unfair."

"Thank you!" Sheik nodded his head in agreement. "You know- uh, Link, you okay?"

Link had paused in the hall after spotting a familiar blur of blonde hair dodging down the hallway. "Yeah, I just need to take care of one thing really fast. I'll meet you at our table."

"Uh, okay?"

Link left Sheik behind as he followed Zelda down the bustling hallways. When he was close enough he called out, "Zelda!"

She tensed at her name and tried to shrink even deeper into her baggy blue hoodie, but she didn't stop.

"Hey, Zelda!"

She ignored him again and seemed to speed up- what was with her?

"Wait up." Link maneuvered around a group of freshman girls and gently grabbed Zelda's elbow. She flinched at his touch and seemed to brace herself for a hit. Link gawked at her, that definitely wasn't a normal response, was she okay? Before he could say anything more Zelda opened her eyes and she seemed shocked to see him there.

"I know you heard me," Link let go of her elbow, searching her eyes for answers as to why she was acting so strangely. "Are you okay?"

"Uh, yep!" Zelda smiled, but Link had faked a smile enough himself to see that it was forced.

"You looked kinda freaked out when I stopped you-"

"Oh I'm just a little tense, that's all." Her eyes were darting around nervously, and she was bouncy on her heels. "Got lots to do."

"I feel that," Link wanted to make her feel comfortable, what should he do? "Um, are you ready for biology next hour?"

She paused her nervous movements for a second, had his stupid question actually worked? She bit her lip. "Yeah, about that, I'm actually headed home right now so I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

"Okay, I'll see you-"

Before he could finish his sentence she had bolted out the outside doors. Link followed behind her catching the door before it could swing shut. He was about to call after her and ask if she could tutor him, but what he saw made him pause. Zelda was frozen before a car that must have been hers, but it was graffitied in mean words. A sick feeling filled his gut as other kids around him started laughing at her. Link clenched his fists, he didn't care if he barely knew Zelda, no one deserved to be treated like that. He was about to go out there and see if she was okay but Zelda got in her car and drove off.

"Link?" He turned to see his friends walking towards him, Malon had been the one to speak. "Is everything alright?"

Link walked back into the building, his thoughts racing. "What do you know about Zelda King?"

"Not much," Navi said. "I've had her in a few of my classes, but she was always quiet and kept to herself. Why do you ask?"

"Nothing, it's just..." Link paused, recalling Mr. Beedle's request. "I think that Zelda could use some friends."


	3. Hope

[Zelda]

Zelda slammed the back door of her car closed with her foot, balancing bags of groceries in her arms. After her emotional breakdown, she had washed her car, and then she had gone to the store and purchased comfort food. The chips, cookies, and ice cream she'd bought should hopefully fill the empty void inside her. Plus, her dad was preparing for a big case, so he wouldn't be home until late tonight. 

Zelda sighed. She wished her dad would pay more attention to her, but he hardly had time to sleep as a big shot lawyer, let alone time to spend with his daughter. If only her mom were still alive. Zelda's heart squeezed, and fresh tears sprang into her eyes at the thought of her mother. It had been four years since the incident, but the wounds still felt as fresh as they had been on day one.

"Zelda?"

She jumped at her name and whirled around, her pint of ice cream sailing out of the bag. "Oh, no!"

"Don't worry; I've got it."

Zelda was about to thank whoever had saved her ice cream's life, but her words fell flat as she saw who she was talking to.

Link was standing there holding her ice cream in one hand; a crooked smile spread across his face. Oh man, what must he think of her and all the junk food she was bringing into her house? She hurriedly snatched the ice cream back and hid everything behind her back.

She cleared her throat. "Hey, Link. What are you doing here?"

He smiled, "Did you know we're neighbors?"

"Uh, yeah," Zelda tilted her head. "Did you not know that?"

Link blushed. He was cute when he was flustered. "No, but I'm just super absent-minded so-"

Zelda laughed, cutting him off. "You're fine. I was just giving you a hard time."

Link chuckled awkwardly, "Anyways. Could you tutor me in math? You see, it's Algebra 2, and it just makes no sense to me at all." He rubbed the back of his neck and made frantic gestures with his other hand. "And, I don't know, I thought that maybe- if you want to, of course- you could help me out?"

Zelda paused. Why on earth would Link want to hang out with her? Zelda quickly shut that thought down. He didn't want to hang out with her; he wanted her to tutor him. 

She shook her head. Link wanted her help. No one would ever want to be friends with her, and she was crazy to get her hopes up. She plastered on another fake smile, trying to hide her disappointment. "Of course, I'll help you. Do you want to meet before school tomorrow?"

"Really, you'll help me?" Link beamed. "Tomorrow before school should work."

"I'll see you then." Zelda turned to go inside, feeling another wave of tears moments from bursting through her happy facade.

"Wait," Link blocked her path. "Who painted those mean words on your car earlier today?"

Zelda's ears went red, horrified that he had seen that. "It doesn't matter."

"Yes, it does."

"No, it doesn't." Zelda tried to keep the anger out of her voice, but this was a touchy subject, and she didn't want to talk about it.

"It does, Zelda. No one should be treated like that."

She let out a frustrated laugh. "Well, why should you care? It's none of your business."

Link sighed. "I care because I don't like watching my friends get bullied."

"We're not friends. You didn't even know I existed until today, did you?"

"That's beside the point-"

"I don't want your pity." Zelda dodged around Link and ran up the stairs to her house. She opened the door then turned back to face him. "I'll see you tomorrow at 7:20 at the school, okay?"

Link stuck his hands in his pockets. "Uh, okay. Guess I'll see you then."

Zelda nodded and closed the door. She would kill to have Link be her friend, but she didn't want to be pity friends with anyone. Sighing, she collapsed on the couch and eyed her junk food.

She was going to need more.

***

Zelda was late. She'd meant to get up early, but her bed had been so warm, and the snooze on her alarm clock too tempting. Zelda growled in frustration as she attempted to pull her hair up into its normal ponytail. She'd have to leave it down-today was just not her day.

She grabbed her keys and bolted out the door. She'd like to say she didn't speed, but she totally did.

"Why are you like this?" Zelda asked herself as she pulled into the school parking lot.

The school was usually empty this early in the morning, except for a few brave students who took zero-hour classes. Zelda scared a group of them as she burst like a mad man through the school doors.

"Sorry, sorry," She mumbled, dodging past them as she ran for the library.

Zelda-disheveled, tired, and slightly grumpy-was too preoccupied to watch her step and, as a result, ran smack dab into the one person she didn't want to see.

"What are you doing here so early, nerd?" Ganondorf's cold voice asked.

"Nothing." Zelda stood up straighter and tried her best to smile.

Ganondorf looked her over. "You look even more of a mess today than you usually do."

"Oh, really?" She frantically tried to straighten her hair. "I hadn't noticed."

"Hey, Zelda, there you are." Link poked his head out of the library. "Hey Ganondorf, what are you up to?"

"I was just saying hi to Zelda here before hitting the school gym," Ganondorf smirked at Link. "Some of us don't want to be benched."

"It's always so nice talking to you, Ganondorf, but Zelda and I have some studying to do." He stepped out even further and held the door open for Zelda as she scurried in. "I'll see you at practice, okay?"

With that, Link shut the door, and Zelda found that she could breathe again.

"He wasn't giving you any trouble, was he?" Link asked, leading her over to a table in the corner of the library. 

"Nope!" Zelda cleared her throat. 

"Okay, if you say so." Link stared at her, and Zelda wasn't sure if she had convinced him. 

She busied herself by taking out her notebook and pencil. "Uh, anyways, math."

"Right," Link smiled. "Math."

"So, what do you need help with?" Zelda asked, feeling more comfortable now that they were talking numbers.

"It's all of these equations," Link turned his notebook around and showed her what he was talking about. "They make absolutely no sense to me."

"It's okay," Zelda said, examining his notes. "Algebra can be tricky. But I'm sure you'll get the hang of it."

"Your hair looks cute today."

Zelda shook her head; she must be hearing things. "What?"

Link smiled, his charming crooked smile and Zelda felt butterflies in her stomach. "I think your hair looks cute today."

"Uh," Zelda stared at him, hoping that her face wasn't as red as it felt. "Yours isn't that bad either."

"Thanks," Link looked at her, really looked at her. Not with hate like Ganondorf did or disgust like Nabooru or sadness like her dad, but with a friendly kindness.

"Anyways," Zelda turned her gaze back to the math in front of her. "Um, these questions are easy if you know how to factor."

"Yeah, um, I don't really get how to do that."

"That's okay. You do it like this."

It was a weird feeling, but as Zelda was tutored Link; she didn't feel lonely. She even found herself feeling sad when their time was up. Even more weird was that Link offered to walk her to first-hour; what was going on?

"Hey, Zelda?" Link asked as they stopped in front of her class.

"Yeah?"

"I know yesterday you said we weren't friends." Link stuck his hands in his pockets, and Zelda felt yet another blush cross her face. "But I was hoping that maybe we could be friends? I mean, I don't want to pressure you are anything, but if you want to, you could eat lunch-"

"Yes!" Zelda could barely hold in her excitement.

"Uh, awesome!" Link started walking backward. "I'll see you at lunch, um, we eat at the table in the corner of the cafeteria."

"I'll see you then," Zelda waved as Link turned and headed to his class.

As Zelda walked into class, she felt a warm feeling in her chest- happiness. She hadn't felt it in a long time, not since her mom died.

"What are you smiling about?" Nabooru sneered as Zelda took her seat. "It's certainly not your hair, is it?"

Zelda ignored Nabooru. Link thought her hair looked cute like this.

The tardy bell rang, halting any further attacks from Nabooru. Zelda couldn't help from smiling as she pulled out her supplies. Maybe she did have one friend after all, and for the first time in a very long time, she was excited about lunch.


	4. Friends

[Link]

Link felt nervous all morning.

What if Zelda didn't like his friends? What if she didn't even want to be friends? What if she didn't show up?

Ugh, he hated feeling so vulnerable and confused. Link took a deep breath. It was going to be okay. He just needed not to freak out.

"Are you doing okay?" Sheik asked as they left Ms. Impa's class. "You've been quiet all day, and you're never quiet."

"Um, yeah, I'm doing okay, it's just." Link cleared his throat. "I asked Zelda if she wanted to eat lunch with us today--"

"What's up, guys?" Malon asked as she and Navi joined them.

"Link asked Zelda to eat lunch with us today, and now he's totally freaking out."

"I am not."

Navi put her hand over her heart. "Aw, that's so cute, Link!"

"No, it's not-"

"It totally is!" Malon clapped her hands in glee. "Does someone have a little crush?"

"What- no!" Link stuck his hands in his pocket; he'd only known Zelda for a few days. There was no way he could have a crush on her, right? "I'm nervous, that's all. What if I came on too strong? She's timid, and I don't want to seem like a creeper. Or what if she doesn't show and then things will be super awkward when she tutors me--"

"Slow down," Malon chuckled. "You're overthinking things."

Sheik nodded his agreement. "Why wouldn't she come?"

Link drug his hands down his face. "Were you not listening to what I just said?"

"Look," Navi said as they arrived at their lunch table. "It was really nice of you to invite Zelda to eat with us. She seems really lonely, and I'm sure she appreciated the gesture, but all you can do is invite and hope that she comes. I find it's best not to stress too much over stuff like this."

"But I don't think she's ever had too many friends, and I don't want to mess this up for her." Link sat down and pulled out his lunch. "So if she does show up, can you all be super nice and inclusive?"

"Of course, we will be." Sheik rolled his eyes. "We're not heartless monsters."

"Well, some of us aren't," Malon muttered, glaring over Link's shoulder.

"Hey." A deep voice spoke, and Link turned to see Ganondorf approaching. 

Link frowned. He always felt this strange, uneasy feeling around Ganondorf. Maybe it was because Ganondorf was well over six foot and Link himself was barely scraping 5 foot 10 inches, but it was more than that. He always talked down to people, and there was this glint in his eyes that made it seem like he was planning unimaginable horrors. But, despite this, Link still conjured up a smile as Ganondorf arrived at their table. 

"I was wondering if you had seen Nabooru around?" He asked.

"Last I saw her, she was talking to Ms. Purah after class," Navi offered. "She still might be there."

"Thanks, I'll check there." Ganondorf waved, retreating into the crowded cafeteria. "I'll see you guys later."

"I sure hope not," Navi said as soon as Ganondorf was gone. "That guy gives me the creeps."

"I know, right." Malon shivered. "I heard he's been held back for two years."

"I had him in my math class last trimester, and he never did any of the homework, so I could see that being true," Navi said.

"He's a good basketball player," Sheik added, and then shrugged when Navi and Malon glared at him. "What? It's the truth."

Link started eating his sandwich, not too interested in adding to the conversation. His gaze scanned the cafeteria. Where was Zelda?

***

[Zelda]

"You can do this," Zelda said to her reflection in the bathroom mirror. "Just go out there and be yourself."

She bit her lip. What was she thinking? She couldn't do this. She couldn't risk getting hurt. What if they didn't like her? What if Link had been joking? What if this was an elaborate plan hatched by Ganondorf to embarrass her further?

Zelda shook her head. She had to do this. She couldn't back out now, not after she'd told Link she was coming.

Gathering her courage, Zelda left the bathroom, shoving her trembling hands in her hoodie's front pocket. As she approached the cafeteria, she started feeling overwhelmed. There were so many people talking over each other and so many people laughing with their friends; it just made her feel out of place. Zelda sunk deeper into her hoodie. This was a bad idea. She would eat in her car like she normally did.

"Zelda!"

She tensed.

"Hey, Zelda!" Link was standing up at his table and waving at her. "We're over here."

She felt her face go red as people in the lunchroom started looking her way; she hated drawing attention to herself. Zelda lowered her head and headed over to Link's table--there was no way out of this now.

"Here, you can sit next to me." Link scooted over, making room for her. "I'm so glad you came!"

Zelda smiled and sat down, trying to ignore how uncomfortable she felt. There were three other people at the table. They looked familiar, and she was almost positive that she and the boy with white hair and red eyes had first-hour together.

Maybe she'd stared at the boy too long because he cleared his throat and held out his hand. "I'm Sheik. It's nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too," Zelda said quietly, accepting his handshake.

"Oh, and I'm Navi!" said one of the girls; she had cute blue eyes that matched the blue highlights in her hair. Navi pointed at the girl next to her with beautiful red hair and freckles. "And this is Malon."

"I think we've had a few classes together." Malon smiled, showing her perfectly straight, white teeth.

"Oh, yeah, I think we have," Zelda murmured, and though she knew she shouldn't, she couldn't help but wish that she was as pretty as Malon and Navi. Then people wouldn't laugh and point at her; they'd be too busy admiring her beauty. It's a shame that Zelda lacked in the looks department.

Link smiled at her. "And I'm Link, but you already know that."

Zelda looked around at the group. "It's, um, nice to meet you all."

"So, Zelda," Navi asked around a bite of her sandwich. "What do you like to do for fun?"

"Uh, can I say homework?"

Sheik started laughing, and the rest of the group joined in. Zelda's face grew red; what had she said to make them laugh at her?

"Good one, Zelda!" Sheik wiped away a fake tear. "Maybe you should consider being a comedian."

Zelda paused. They hadn't been laughing at her; they had been laughing at her joke. She hadn't exactly meant it as a joke, but she couldn't help from smiling anyway. She had made them laugh.

The group kept on asking her questions for the rest of lunch, and Zelda even asked some herself. They talked about tons of things from basketball to why Sheik should clean his car. Zelda found herself relaxing and just enjoying being around them--they were such fun people. Sadly, the lunch bell rang, and their conversation had to come to an end.

"See you at practice," Link called after Sheik as he went to his next class, then turning to Zelda. "So, what did you think about lunch?"

"It was really fun," said Zelda as they headed to biology.

"You can eat with us every day if you want to."

Zelda tried not to look too desperate. "I'd like to. I mean--if you're sure it's okay."

"Of course, it is." Link held the door to their classroom open for her.

"Thanks." Zelda entered the classroom and sat down at her and Link's table.

"So can we be friends now?" Link asked as he joined her.

Zelda smiled a true, happy smile. "Yes. Yes, we can."

The next two weeks were the best of Zelda's high school experience. It turned out she had at least one class with everyone in the group, so that made class work a million times better. But, besides lunch, her favorite part of the day was the quiet hour she and Link spent together each morning before school. He'd made lots of progress; he'd even aced his last math test! Zelda loved their little table in the corner of the library. It was her favorite place in the whole school. Sometimes she and Link would grow tired of math, so they would sit and talk. Zelda was happy, truly happy, for the first time in three years. In her newfound joy, she almost forgot about Ganondorf... almost.


	5. Foes

[Zelda]

"You can stay for the game, right?" Link asked, leaning against a row of lockers as Zelda emptied textbooks into her own.

"Yep, I talked with my dad, and he said I was good to go."

"Awesome, because we're totally going to dominate Castle Town."

"I used to live in Castle Town before moving here."

"Well, I'm glad you're here in Kakariko now; otherwise, you'd have a disgrace for a basketball team."

"Are you sure I don't have one now?" Zelda teased.

Link scoffed, acting deeply hurt. "Do you really have such little faith in me?"

"That makes two of us," Sheik said, joining the conversation.

"Hey, you're supposed to be on my side."

Zelda chuckled, shaking her head. "It doesn't matter anyway; I was just kidding. You guys are going to do great tonight."

"I don't know about Link, but me?" Sheik flexed his muscles. "I'm going to crush it."

"I think if his head gets any bigger, he'll float away." Link whispered loudly to Zelda, covering his mouth with his hand.

Zelda laughed and whispered back, "I think you're right."

"Yeah, he's right." Sheik shrugged. "But speaking of the game, it's about time we headed there, don't you think?"

"Oh yeah," Link smiled at Zelda. "I'll see you later then?"

"Yep." Zelda returned his smile. "Good luck."

"He's gonna need it." Sheik winked at her, and then together, he and Link headed towards the gym.

Zelda turned back to her locker, smiling. She was super excited to watch Link's basketball game. Before the game started, she, Navi, and Malon would get something to eat. It was amazing to have friends--to have a safe place to go and be herself. She felt so accepted and included with them, especially with Link.

"I'm glad to see you're so happy."

Zelda tensed; she knew that voice. She shut her locker slowly, bracing herself, and turned. "Hey, Ganondorf."

He grinned. "So what have you been up to lately?"

"Oh, you know just this and that." She shrugged her backpack on her shoulders. "I was just about to head out."

He slammed a hand on her closed locker, trapping her. "I think you'd better stay for a little while longer."

Zelda gulped. "Um, I have some friends expecting me so--"

"Friends?" Ganondorf snorted with laughter. "You think they're your friends?"

"Yes, they are." Zelda dodged around him. "Now I really should be going."

"Zelda, when are you going to learn?" Ganondorf shook his head. His eyes had such malice in them that Zelda felt a shiver of fear. "You do what I say."

"No, I don't."

"Say that again. I dare you."

Zelda held her head high. Ganondorf's days of manipulating her were over. "No. I. Don't."

"Why you little..." Ganondorf glared, his fist curling at his side. Zelda closed her eyes.

Instead of pain Zelda felt a strong, warm arm wrap around her shoulders. She looked up to see Link glaring at Ganondorf. 

"What's going on here?" Link asked.

Ganondorf's angry expression melted into one of innocence. "Nothing. I was just telling Zelda that I was hoping to see her at the game tonight."

Link looked at Zelda, raising his eyebrow questioningly. "Is that true?"

Zelda could feel Ganondorf's threatening glare burning into the side of her head. "Uh... yes? I mean, um, yes. Yes, that's what was going on."

"See." Ganondorf tilted his head, grinning from ear to ear. "Nothing to worry about."

Link squinted his eyes at Ganondorf, and Zelda could tell he wasn't buying it. "If you say so."

Zelda stared up at Link, trying her best not to think about how close they were. He had gone to the game with Sheik, so what was he doing here? Not that she minded him being here or his arm around her shoulder.

"Well, we have a game soon, so I'm going to head out," Ganondorf said, heading towards the gym. "I'll see you later, Zelda."

"Bye." She murmured after him.

Link pulled Zelda a little closer, causing her heart to go a million miles a minute. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yep, I'm just fine." Zelda hoped her face wasn't as red as it felt.

"You'd tell me if he--or anyone--was bothering you, right?"

"Of c-course." Zelda smiled through the lie.

"So was he the one who painted those mean things on your car?"

"Uh...what?" Zelda was having a hard time focusing. Why was Link's arm still around her shoulders? She shook her head. "I mean, no. I have no idea who even did that."

"Zelda--"

Her phone's ringtone cut off Link, and he removed his arm so she could answer. Zelda tried not to frown about that.

"Oh, It's Malon," Zelda said. "They're probably wondering where I am."

"Well then, I won't keep you any longer." Link smiled and crossed over to the locker he'd leaned against earlier. Reaching down, he picked up his backpack. Zelda hadn't even noticed it was there. "I just came back to pick this up."

"Cool. Well, um, I'll see you at the game then?"

"Absolutely." Link gave her two thumbs up as she walked down the hall. He looked slightly flushed too.

Zelda waved as she exited the school doors. As soon as she was outside, she called Malon back.

"Hello? Zelda?"

"Hey, what's up?" Zelda asked as she climbed into her car.

Malon paused. "Are you all good? You sound flustered."

"Really?" Zelda's eyes widened, and she looked in the car's mirror. Her cheeks were still flushed and, though she would''ve denied it, her heart was still racing, and butterflies still resided in her stomach.

"Did something happen?"

Zelda buckled her seat belt, trying hard not to imagine Link's cute smiling face or the way she'd felt with his arm around her shoulder. "Nope. Uh... I'm on my way now."

"Okay, see you soon!" Malon hung up.

Zelda rested her head on the steering wheel. She should probably be worrying about Ganondorf, but she couldn't be. A particular blonde hair, blue-eyed boy, consumed her thoughts. 

***

[Link]

A bead of sweat trickled down the back of Link's neck. The basketball game had been more intense than he'd predicted. It turned out the Castle Town Warriors had upped their game from last year. Link now stood on the free-throw line with all eyes on him. He had been charged with the game-winning shot, so no pressure. He took a deep breath, trying to center himself when a flash of blonde hair caught his attention. He allowed himself a quick scan of the room and saw Zelda standing with Navi and Malon in the student section. Their eyes met, and she gave him two thumbs up.

Link closed his eyes, the image of Zelda's smiling face still in his mind. He took another deep breath--he could do this.

Link bounced the basketball a few times, getting a feel for it, and then zoned in on the net. He swallowed his nerves and shot.

The whole world seemed to hold its breath as the ball sailed towards the net.

Then...

The audience erupted in cheers, and Links' fellow teammates stormed the court. He had done it. They had won the game.

"That was an amazing Link," said Sidon, a super tall and talented freshman that Link had befriended this year.

"Yeah, dude!" Sheik slapped him on the back. "You did awesome."

"Thanks," Link said, a little distracted. He was scanning the student section looking for a familiar blur of blonde hair. After a few seconds Link saw Zelda. She was jumping up and down in excitement, yelling something he couldn't hear. A smile crossed his face. The girl he saw now was such a change from the quiet, hurt girl he'd known just a few weeks ago.

Sidon elbowed Link. "She's cute."

Link blanched. "Uh, what? I wasn't... it's not--"

"Oh, young love." Sheik dramatically rested his hand over his heart.

Link shoved him. "Shut up. You can't tease me; I just won the game!"

"Now, let us help you win the girl!" Sheik nodded at Sidon. "You in?"

"Stop it." Link knew he was blushing like crazy. "I don't like Zelda; we're just friends."

"Hey, guys." Ganondorf appeared behind Link. "Coach wants us in the locker room."

"Okay, we're coming," said Sidon.

As Ganondorf walked away, Sheik nudged Link. "Don't worry when we see the girls after the game. Sidon and I will be your wingmen."

Sidon and Sheik high fived. Link rolled his eyes. "Please don't. You'll just mess things up."

"Oh, ye of little faith." Sheik winked. "Watch and learn."

***

[Zelda]

"What's taking them so long?" Navi asked, checking her phone for the millionth time.

Zelda, Navi, and Malon were waiting in the hallway by the locker room along with other family and friends of the basketball players.

Malon chuckled. "They're probably just talking about the game. That shot by Link at the end was awesome."

"Yeah, it was." Zelda smiled at the memory.

"Except Zelda was probably more focused on Link than the actual shot."

Zelda's ears went red. "What... no!"

"I saw that little look you two shared before the shot," Navi said, no longer bored. "Does someone have a crush?

"I don't know what you're talking about." Zelda started walking away. "I need some fresh air."

"You can't run from your feelings forever," Malon called after her, a teasing tone in her voice.

Zelda turned and stuck her tongue out at them. She heard their laughter as she slipped outside. 

It was a beautiful, crisp night, and Zelda closed her eyes, taking in a deep breath. Even with Malon and Navi's teasing, she had still enjoyed the evening. Zelda smiled as she recalled all the fun she had had that night and couldn't help but feel giddy that Link had looked at her before the shot. Zelda was trying not to overthink anything, but maybe, just maybe--

"It's a beautiful night."

"It is." Zelda turned around but didn't see anyone. She scanned her surroundings. "Hello?"

Ganondorf appeared from the shadows. "Hello."

Zelda took a step backward. "What do you want?"

"To finish our conversation from earlier." He wrapped his arm around her shoulder. Zelda tried to shove him away, but Ganondorf squeezed his hand almost painfully around Zelda's upper arm and whispered in her ear, "I'd prefer if you came quietly."

Zelda tensed and slowly nodded her head. Ganondorf led her away from the school's main entrance to the back, where there were no cameras. When they arrived, he shoved her away. Zelda stumbled and caught herself on the wall.

"I saw the look between you and pretty boy during the game," Ganondorf said. "You don't think he'd like you, do you?"

Zelda stood up straight. "Of course not."

"Good." Ganondorf moved to stand directly in front of her. He lowered himself to her height. "Because let's face it, no one could ever like you."

Zelda glared, she was tired of Ganondorf's games, and Link was right; no one deserved to be treated like this. "You're wrong."

"What did you just say?"

Zelda clenched her fists, trying to control the tremble in her voice. "I said you're wrong. I have f-friends, and they c-care about me. They like me."

Instead of exploding like Zelda thought he would, Ganondorf doubled over in laughter. "Do you really believe that?"

Zelda hesitated. Link and his friends had never given her any reason not to think that they liked her.

"You do realize Link and his friends are only nice to you because they feel bad for you." Ganondorf straightened and moved toward Zelda. "Your just a stupid, pathetic loser that they took on as a pity case."

"But Link said--"

"I don't care what Link said." Zelda cowered as Ganondorf clenched his fist. "Don't you see? Link only cares about you because you help his math grade. As soon as he gets his grade up, he'll drop you."

"No... you're wrong." Zelda tried to back up, but she ran into the wall. "You don't know what you're talking about."

"The truth hurts, doesn't it, Zelda, and I'm the only person who cares enough about you to tell it to you."

"You don't care about me. You hate me."

"That's true, but at least I'm real and open about how I feel." Ganondorf was now uncomfortably close. "I'll always be honest to you about how worthless you are."

Zelda had had enough. This day had been going so well until Ganondorf had ruined it, and she was done letting him continue to ruin her life. Using all strength, which wasn't much, she shoved Ganondorf away from her. "Get away from me!"

Ganondorf didn't even budge, and a fiery fury burned in his eyes. "You need to be reminded of your place Zelda."

"What's that supposed--"

Ganondorf covered her mouth with his hand. "You can't ever get rid of me, do you understand me?"

Zelda nodded, tears now flowing down her face. She knew what was coming and closed her eyes as Ganondorf's first punch landed.


	6. Despair

[Link]

Link grabbed his duffle bag, and together he, Sheik, and Sidon left the locker room. They were the last of the team to go. Link was bombarded with congratulations and pats on the back as he stepped into the hall. He smiled at everyone but quickly removed himself from their praise.

"Took you long enough," Navi spoke as the trio finally emerged from the crowd of good wishers.

Sheik shrugged. "It's not my fault that everyone was too busy showering me with praise."

Malon smacked his arm. "Whatever, Link was to the real MVP tonight."

"It was a team effort," said Sheik.

"Uh, where's Zelda?" Link had scanned the hallway up and down but hadn't seen her. "She didn't go home, did she?"

"Nah." Navi nodded her head towards the outside doors. "She just stepped outside for a minute. I can go get her--"

"No," Sidon interjected, clearing his throat. "Uh, Link should go, right Sheik?"

Sheik winked. "Yes, Link should go."

"Or we could all go and then head over to get ice cream," Navi suggested.

Malon rolled her eyes and leaned over, whispering something in Navi's ear. Navi's eyes widened with understanding. "Oh, yep. Link should go."

Link's face was bright red. Did everyone know? "I'm with Navi. Let's all head out."

"Not today, lover boy," Sheik smirked. "None of us are going anywhere till you come back through those doors with Zelda."

"I hate you."

"I know." Sheik shoved him towards the door, the rest of the group offering words of encouragement.

Link gulped and walked out the doors. It was a beautiful night with no clouds in the sky, allowing the stars to shine bright and clear. Link took a breath, calming his nerves. He was by the main entrance of the school, but Zelda was nowhere in sight. Frowning, he walked around, checking everywhere from the parking lot to the school's back for her. Link whipped out his phone and tried calling her, but he went to voicemail. 

Where was she?

***

[Zelda]

Zelda stumbled towards her fridge. She needed ice now. Trying to stifle her sobs, she loaded some into a plastic bag with shaking hands. 

The past twenty minutes had been a blur of pain. She had checked out both emotionally and physically when Ganondorf had started beating her, but now she was feeling the pain. Her ribs ached, and she could taste blood. Zelda took her bag of ice and stubbled to the bathroom.

Once there, she looked in the mirror and assessed the damage. The right side of her face was bruised and quickly swelling, and her lip was bleeding. Not to mention the several bruises she was bound to have over the rest of her body. Zelda gently placed the bag of ice over her right eye, trying to stop herself from crying. It wasn't going to do her any good right now. She had to make herself look presentable before her father got home.

Buzzt. Buzzt.

Zelda pulled her phone out and glanced down at the caller ID. It was Link. Zelda felt her heart skip a beat but quickly shut the excitement down. Tonight had shown her that she couldn't be friends with Link. No matter how badly Zelda wanted to, she just couldn't. Zelda allowed a tear to slide down her face as she let Links call go to voicemail, recalling what Ganondorf had told her after he'd finished beating her. He'd grabbed her face and whispered: "If you're not careful. They're next."

She wouldn't let Ganondorf ruin her friends' lives too. No, she couldn't think of them as friends anymore. She'd learned her lesson tonight--no one could be her friend. Zelda put her phone down, trying to ignore the pain not only in her body but in her heart.

Using her free hand, Zelda rummaged in her drawer, looking for her concealer and foundation. It was nearly nine; her father would be home any minute.

She heard the front door open. "Zelda?"

Crap.

Zelda did the only thing she could do; she pulled her hair over the right side of her face and then tore her jacket's hood as far over her face as she could. "Y-Yeah?"

"Come talk to me."

"Um, can it wait till morning? I'm getting ready for bed."

He knocked on the bathroom door. "It won't take too long, sweetie. I'll be in my office."

Zelda stared at herself for a few seconds more. If she stayed in the shadows, her dad wouldn't be able to see her injuries, but she'd have to make this fast. Sighing, she opened the bathroom door and headed towards her father's office.

Zelda knocked on the door before entering. "Hey, what's up?"

"Come in, come in." Her father smiled at her from behind his desk. The lamps' dim light accentuated the wrinkles around his eyes and his white hair and beard's shine. "I want to know how the basketball game went. Did you have fun?"

Zelda gawked at him. Her father never wanted to know about her life, so why the sudden interest? "Uh, yeah, it was fun."

"Good, good." Her dad cleared his throat; he could feel the awkwardness too. "Look, I know I haven't been very, um, involved in your life, but I'd like to change that."

Zelda raised her eyebrow. "You would?"

"Yes."

"Okay, well, uh, that's great?" Zelda hadn't meant for it to sound like a question, but this day had been all over the place, and she was having a hard time processing things.

"Are you feeling okay, Zelda?"

Zelda blinked a few times. Maybe Ganondorf had hit her harder than she thought. "Uh... yes, I'm fine. Just tired."

"Well, then, goodnight." Her father picked up some papers off his desk and started reading.

"Father?" Zelda asked, summoning her courage.

"Yes."

Zelda cleared her throat. She needed to make this quick; the room was starting to spin. "Could I stay home from school tomorrow?"

He paused. "What for?"

"I'm not feeling well."

"You just said you were fine."

"Did I?" Zelda was having a hard time following the conversation.

Her father sighed. "You have to go to school, Zelda."

"Why?"

"I don't need a reason. I'm your father."

Zelda started seeing stars. "Uh, could you please give me a reason?"

"Because I said so is reason enough." There was a dangerous tone in her father's voice, but Zelda needed to stay home tomorrow. She couldn't face Link and his friends, and, more importantly, she couldn't face Ganondorf.

"I'm going to stay home tomorrow."

"No, you're not." Her father was angry now. "You have to learn a good work ethic, and I will not have a lazy slacker for a daughter. Now go to bed; you have to get up early for school tomorrow."

"But--"

"Have I made myself clear?"

Zelda gulped and lowered her head. "Yes."

"Good." He returned to his work, and Zelda left, closing the door behind her.

Zelda stumbled down the hall, collecting her bag of ice from the bathroom, before heading to her room. She managed to lie down on her bed before the tears started. Why was this happening to her? She hadn't done anything wrong. All she'd wanted was to make friends and fit in--but look where that had gotten her. 

She sobbed into her pillow, ignoring the pain. Zelda wanted her mom. She wanted her to stroke her hair and hold her while whispering that it was going to be okay. 

But it wasn't going to be okay. 

Zelda had no friends, no mother, and she might as well have no father. All she was to him was a disappointment and a constant reminder of the wife he'd lost.

Zelda's phone started buzzing again. She glanced over at it; Malon was calling now. Zelda ignored the call and continued crying. Tomorrow was going to be a terrible day, and Zelda had a feeling she'd have a lot more to come.


	7. Truth

[Link]

Link drummed his fingers on the table. Zelda was late twenty minutes late, and he was worried about her. She hadn't answered any of his texts or calls. The only reason he wasn't freaking out was that he had seen her car in her driveway when he'd gone home last night.

Link pulled out his phone, debating if he should call her again or not.

The sound of the library door opening drew his attention, and he smiled with relief as Zelda entered. However, his smile quickly turned into an expression of concern. There was something off about her. She walked stiffly as if every step hurt, and she had styled her hair so it covered the entire right side of her face. Zelda had pulled her hoodie hood down so far he could barely make out her eyes.

"Hey," Zelda mumbled as she sat down across from Link.

"Hey." Link cleared his throat, not sure how to proceed. "Is everything all right?"

Zelda kept her head down, refusing to meet his eyes. "Everything isn't all right."

"Oh?"

"I..." She hesitated. "I don't think I should tutor you anymore."

"What?" Link gawked at her.

"And I don't think I'll be coming to lunches anymore either."

"Wait--"

"And I don't think..." Zelda swallowed, her voice shaking. "I don't think we should be friends anymore."

"Woah, slow down." Link reached across the table and placed his hand over her's. She tensed but didn't pull away. "What's going on?"

"I just told you what's going on."

"So, all of a sudden, you want to stop being friends?"

Zelda paused. "Yes..."

"I don't understand." Link stared at her, wishing she'd pull up her hood so he could see her face. "Did I do something wrong?"

Zelda looked up at him for the first time since she'd entered the room. "No, of course not." Her lip trembled. "It's just better for both of us if we're not friends. Trust me."

Link sat back, crossing his arms over his chest. "Well... I won't allow it."

"This isn't a request."

"You might not want to be friends with me, but I still want to be friends with you."

"Link, please, you're not making this easy." Zelda rested her head in her hands, and for the briefest of seconds, her hair shifted.

Link drew in a sharp breath and leaned forward. "Zelda, what happened to your face?"

She tensed and pulled her hood farther down. "Nothing."

"You never wear your hair like that."

She chuckled awkwardly. "What do you mean? My hair always looks like this."

"Pull your hood up then."

She drew back. "W-what?"

Link shrugged. "If nothing's wrong, then why is your hood pulled down like that?"

Zelda paused, and after a few seconds, she lowered her hood. She kept her head down, though, when she spoke. "See, nothing is wrong."

"Can you look me in the eyes?"

Zelda slowly raised her head, meeting Link's gaze. "Are you happy now?"

"No." Before Zelda could stop him, Link leaned across the table and swept her hair behind her right ear.

"Hey! Stop that!"

But it was too late; Link could now see precisely what Zelda had been trying to hide. Link stared at her, shocked. Zelda's beautiful face was black and blue, and her right eye was swelling slightly. Zelda had a cut lip, and by the way, she'd walked in earlier, he guessed these weren't her only injuries.

"Oh, no, Zelda." Link reached across the table and held both her hands in his. He searched her eyes, looking for answers. "What happened?"

"I fell." Zelda looked down. "That's all."

"You're lying. Who did this to you?"

"It's nothing, Link." Zelda suddenly stood up, turning to leave. "Don't worry about it."

"Don't worry about it?" Link stood up, too, blocking her path. "How can I not worry about it? Zelda, I care about you, and someone hurt you. You can't expect me not to worry about it. Let me help you."

Zelda sniffed and looked up at him. Her eyes filled with tears, and all the fight she'd had in her before was gone. She looked broken and miserable. 

"I don't know what to do anymore, Link." She whispered so softly he could barely hear her. "I don't know if anyone can help."

"Don't talk like that." Link wrapped her in a hug, letting her cry. "There's always someone who can help."

"No, there isn't." Zelda sobbed into his chest. "You don't understand. He'll hurt you too if I don't stop hanging out with you. I don't know what his problem is, but it's like he's only happy when I'm unhappy...so it's best if I'm alone."

"Well, you're not alone anymore." Link held her tighter. "I'm here for you, okay? I'll always be here. I want to help you; you need to let me."

"Link, I don't want you caught in the middle of this. I can't ask--"

"You're not asking. I'm offering." Link was trying his best to control his temper for her sake, but the truth was, he was furious. How dare someone do this to her? Zelda was the most excellent, most caring person he'd ever met. She'd never hurt anyone, even if that person were hurting her. Someone else knew this too and was taking advantage of her kind nature. Link felt protective of her, and knowing that someone has been emotionally and physically tormenting her made him want to punch whoever was responsible.

Never the less, Link forced his voice to be steady when he spoke again. "Did this happen last night after the game?"

Zelda nodded.

"Did it happen at school?"

She nodded again. Link clenched his teeth, even angrier, but this time at himself. Why hadn't he left the locker room sooner? Why hadn't he been there to stop this? He took a calming breath. "Who did this?"

Zelda held very still.

Link had his suspicion about who it was, and if she wasn't going to say it, then he would. "It was Ganondorf, wasn't it."

Zelda didn't say anything but started sobbing harder. That was all the answer he needed. Link kissed the top of her head. "It's going to be okay. I'll take care of it."

***

Link leaned against the wall in the corner of the locker room, waiting.

After seeing Zelda's injuries that morning, he had insisted she'd go home. She explained that she couldn't, so Link had resigned himself to be satisfied with walking her to and from classes. With Zelda's permission, Link had explained to the rest of the group what was going on during lunch. Sheik had had to stop Malon from charging straight up to Ganondorf and giving him a solid kick in the groin. Zelda also explained that her dad couldn't find out, so that ruled out telling a teacher. She'd also warned them about Ganondorf's threat, but Link wasn't scared. If anything, Ganondorf should be afraid.

"Are you sure you don't want me to stay?" Sheik asked. "It'd be nice to have back up if things take a violent turn."

"Don't worry." Link glared down at his feet. "He can't touch me without getting thrown off the team. We're just going to talk. Plus, I don't want Ganondorf to know that all of us know, that could put Zelda in even more danger."

"Okay, just be careful, and text the group when you get home, so we know you're not dead."

"Will do." Link tried to offer a smile of reassurance, but it didn't reach his eyes.

Sheik waved as he left, and soon the rest of the team filtered out. Ganondorf was always the last to leave after basketball practice.

The locker room had three separate areas, each divided by rows of lockers. Link was waiting in the first area, the one closest to the door, and he could hear Ganondorf putting stuff in his locker in the third area. It was time for Link to put a stop to this, so, trying to suppress his rage, he pushed off the wall. He was about to make his presence known when Ganondorf's cell phone went off. Link hid behind a row of lockers, listening.

"Would you stop freaking out?" Ganondorf's voice echoed strangely off of the empty locker room's stone walls. "Don't worry. I fixed everything."

Link furrowed his eyebrows. What exactly had Ganondorf fixed?

"If she wasn't broken and hopeless before, she most certainly is now. You should've seen her last night. It was almost too easy to put her back in her place."

Link's eye twitched. Ganondorf was talking about Zelda.

"Yes, I know, and that won't happen." Ganondorf's locker slammed shut. "Trust me, okay? Now I've gotta go."

Now was Link's chance. He rounded the corner, trying his best to look nonchalant. "Who you talking to?"

Ganondorf startled. "My grandma, um, about our dog."

"Your dog?"

"Yep." He smirked, daring Link to contradict him. "She's a real pain--"

"Look." Link got right up in his face. He didn't care if Ganondorf was seven inches taller; Link's rage would make up for the height difference. "I know what you've been doing to Zelda, and it's going to stop."

Ganondorf smiled. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Yes, you do, and if you don't back off, she won't be the only one with a black eye."

He chuckled. "Oh, Link, you have no idea what's going on here."

"It doesn't matter because, whatever it is, it's ending tonight."

"What makes you think you can do anything to stop me?"

Link resisted the urge to punch Ganondorf right in his stupid, arrogant face. "This is your only warning Ganondorf. If you don't stop, I'll--"

"You'll do what?" Ganondorf slung his bag over his shoulder. "The truth is you can't tell an adult otherwise, Zelda's control freak of a dad will lock her up, and let's face it..." Ganondorf bent down to Links height. "You're no match for me."

"Why you..." Link clenched his fists.

Ganondorf shook his head. "Uh, uh, uh... careful there, Link. Don't want to get kicked off the team." He pushed Link aside. "A piece of advice, Link. Stay out of my way, and you won't get hurt."

Link grabbed Ganondorf's upper arm, glaring at him. "And some for you. If you don't stop tormenting Zelda, I'll do whatever it takes to destroy you."

Ganondorf pulled his arm away and bowed his head politely at Link. "I'm glad we understand each other. I'll see you around."

"Yeah, see you around." Link glared after Ganondorf as he exited the locker room.

Link slammed his hand into a locker, resisting the urge to curse. That hadn't gone according to plan, but he didn't care how intimidating Ganondorf was. If he didn't leave Zelda alone, then Ganondorf would have a new enemy--Link.


	8. Falling

[Link]

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Sheik whispered loudly.

Malon elbowed him in the ribs. "It would be if you'd shut up. She's going to hear us."

"All I'm saying is that Zelda might not like surprise parties."

"Everyone likes surprise parties, you idiot."

Link silenced them both. "It won't be a surprise if you two keep bickering."

The three of them were crunched in the back of Navi's minivan, waiting for Navi and Zelda to come. It had been two days since that morning in the library when Link had held Zelda as she cried. He blushed at the memory. Holding her had felt so right, and her hair had smelled like strawberries.

"What are you thinking about there, Link?" Sheik whispered. "Your face has turned the most lovely shade of red."

"Aw, are you thinking about Zelda?" Malon forgot to whisper, earning her two harsh shushes.

"No." Link rolled his eyes, willing his face to return to its standard color. "It's just hot in here."

Muffled voices and footsteps from outside caused another round of hushing among the group. The car's front doors opened, and Navi's voice drifted in. "Your bruising is going away."

"Slowly, but surely." Zelda's voice sounded from the passenger seat.

Sheik held up three fingers and mouthed the numbers as he counted down.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" Malon, Sheik, and Link all shouted together, jumping out of their hiding spot. Their shout was followed by a few impolite words from Sheik, who had hit his head hard on the car roof.

Zelda jumped, but a bright smile shone on her face--Navi was right. The bruising was slowly fading from her beautiful face. "Aw, you guys! How'd you know it was my birthday?"

"Sheikagram," Sheik explained, rubbing his head.

Malon climbed into one of the available seats in the front of the car. "And we wanted to surprise you so--"

"We're going to the spring festival in Castle Town!" Navi squealed, unable to contain her excitement any longer. "It's gonna be so much fun."

"Thank you, guys," Zelda said.

"Oh, it was all Link's idea. We just showed up." Malon grinned innocently at him. "Right, Link?"

"I think you're selling yourself too short." Link sat down next to Malon, behind the driver's seat, before turning to Zelda. "I just knew you used to live in Castle Town and figured you'd enjoy the spring festival."

"Well, thanks, Links." Zelda smiled at him, and he felt a pleasant warm feeling spread from his heart throughout the rest of his body. "And you were right. I love the spring festival."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Sheik called from the back. "Seat belts on everyone. Let's go!"

Navi rolled her eyes, put the car in drive, and headed towards Castle Town.

***

[Zelda]

The spring festival was as wonderful as Zelda remembered. The streets were lined up and down with vendors and game booths with brightly colored signs and attractions. The delicious smell of festival food drifted through the whole area, and fairy lights twinkled in the twilight. Little kids were diving in and out of the crowd, their parents calling after them. Couples were walking hand in hand, sharing whispered conversations. For some reason, this made her feel all the more aware of Link standing at her side. Zelda tried not to think about it, but she might have the tiniest of crushes on Link. See, that morning when she'd had a total emotional breakdown in the library, Link had made her feel safe and cared for. He'd even said that he cared about her, and she had no idea if it was platonic care or something more. 

"Let's get this party started." Sheik whooped and led the rest of them through the crowded streets. "What do you guys wanna do?"

"Can we do everything?" Malon clapped her hands. "Oh, it all looks so fun."

"We can't do anything." Navi crossed her arms. "I say we do some of the booths."

"Well, I'm hungry." Sheik pouted.

Malon sighed. "Not everything is about food."

The three continued arguing as Link leaned over to Zelda and asked. "So, where exactly did you use to live?"

"Not too far, actually," Zelda said. "Just a few streets up, take a left and then a right, and bingo! There it is."

"Really? If it's not too far, you should show me."

Zelda smiled. "Oh, okay. Should we tell the rest of the group?"

Link glanced over at them; they were still fighting. "I don't think they're going to notice that we're gone."

"Okay, then, follow me." Gathering her courage, she grabbed his hand and pulled him through the crowds until they arrived in a quieter, less crowded street.

Zelda let go of his hand, but he picked it back up again. She looked up at him, and he grinned. "So that we don't lose each other in the crowd."

There wasn't really any crowd, but Zelda quite liked her hand in his, so it was just fine with her. She smiled and started showing Link all the cool places she'd used to go. She pointed out her favorite bakery, book store, and even her old bus stop as they walked through the city.

"Oh, and here's the park I used to play in all the time when I was little." Zelda gestured to a small run-down park with two swings, a rusting slide, a broken jungle gym, and dead grass. 

Link cleared his throat. "It's so, um, charming?"

She laughed. "If that's what you want to call it."

"Has it always been this broken down?"

"It was slightly better when I was younger." Zelda shrugged. "My mom brought me here because she thought there was something beautiful about broken things."

"She sounds like a smart lady."

Zelda smiled at the memory of her mom. "She was." She cleared her throat. "Anyways, um, we're almost there."

Zelda pulled Link forward, and after one more right turn, they had arrived.

"Here we are." She used her free hand to gesture towards a cute single-family home with a tiny yard. The blue paint on the door was peeling, and her mother's once lovely flower gardens were overrun with weeds.

"It looks abandoned." Link said, walking closer. "Didn't you sell it?"

"No." Zelda starred up at the house, trying to ignore the ache in her heart. "We tried, but no one wanted to buy it, so we just packed our things and left."

Link looked at her, puzzled. "Why didn't anyone want to buy it?"

Zelda looked down at her shoes. "Um, well... you see, my mom died in there, so people claimed it was haunted or tabooed."

Link inhaled sharply. "Oh, I'm sorry, Zelda. I wouldn't have asked you to bring me here if I'd known."

"It's okay." She squeezed his hand and smiled sadly up at him. "I don't mind coming here. After all, I have so many happy memories here that it's worth the pain."

"If you don't mind me asking, how did she die?"

Zelda took a deep breath, she'd been expecting the question, and she wanted to answer it. She wanted to have someone she could talk to about what happened. "Let's sit down, and then I'll tell you."

Zelda led him through the house's old iron gate and sat down on the bench in her mother's dying flower garden. Her mother used to come out every morning and read in the sun. Zelda smiled at the memory.

"Zelda, if you don't want to talk about it, you don't have to."

Zelda looked at him, and her heart skipped a beat. His beautiful blue eyes were filled with concern and love--uh, not love--just friendly care. Zelda squeezed his hand. "No, I want to tell you." 

She took a deep breath. "My dad is a lawyer, and four years ago, he got the case of his career. You see, they had caught one of the gang leaders of the infamous Yiga Clan, and, my dad, he was charged with the prosecution. My dad worked for hours and hours on the case, and in the end, he succeeded. The gang leader, he went by Demise, was sentenced..." Zelda gulped. "To death. The gang wasn't happy about that, and they retaliated. It was maybe a few days after Demise was killed, I came home late from school and..." Zelda's voice caught in her throat. "She was dead. The Yiga Clan had killed her."

"Zelda--"

"And I didn't know what to do." Zelda continued; she'd been holding all this in for over three years and couldn't stop now. "I tried to stop the bleeding, but it was too late. I remember yelling for help. I just screamed and screamed for someone to come and save her." A tear tracked its way down her cheek. "Eventually, one of my neighbors heard me and called the police." Zelda closed her eyes, fighting the pain. "They had to drag me away from her because I kept thinking that maybe, just maybe, she was still alive."

Link wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her close. "I am so sorry, Zelda. That is horrible, and I'm so sorry that you had to go through that. Can I help at all?"

"You are helping by listening." Zelda sniffed. "I don't usually have anyone to talk to about what happened. My dad can't even stand to hear her name."

"What was her name?"

"Zelda." She laughed, a frustrated, cold laugh. "I was named after her, and now, because of that, my father can't even stand to be in the same room with me for more than a few minutes. I'm a constant reminder of all he's lost."

"Then why is he so protective of you?"

"I don't know. I think it's because even though it's painful for my father to be around me, I'm still all that's left of my mom. Ugh, I feel like such a burden sometimes."

Link pulled back to look into her eyes. "You aren't a burden, especially to me." Zelda's cheeks flushed at that. "And if you're ever lonely or feel unsafe at home or if you're just bored, come over to my house. My mom makes killer cinnamon rolls."

She rested her head on his shoulder. "Thanks, Link, and thanks for listening."

Link placed his head on hers. "No problem, I'm always here for you."

"And I'm here for you too. That is if you ever need anything too."

"Thanks, Zelda, but you're already helping. My math grade is a B+ now. That means my mom is off my case, and I'm still on the basketball team."

She laughed. "Glad I could help."

Link smiled. "Me too."

They sat there for a while in comfortable silence, just enjoying each other's company. Zelda felt safe and protected in Link's presence. He was someone she could be herself around without fear of scorn or rejection. She could've stayed there all evening, but both their phones started ringing at the same time. They broke apart to pull them out of their pockets.

"It's Sheik," Link said.

Zelda laughed. "And mines Navi."

"I think that means our absence has been discovered."

"Think we should head back?"

"Probably." Link stood up and held out his hand. She took it, trying to ignore the butterflies swirling in her stomach. The way the setting sun caught on his blonde hair and the sparkle of adventure in his eyes made her knees weak, and Zelda couldn't deny it anymore.

She was falling for Link--falling hard and fast.


	9. Risks

[Ganondorf]

Ganondorf clenched his jaw as he scrolled through Navi's sheikagram post. The image causing his anger was a group shot of Navi, Malon, Sheik, Link, and Zelda. They were all smiling and seemed to be having a great time.

Nabooru came and sat next to him on the hideout's couch. "What's the matter?"

Ganondorf handed over his phone. "Look at this."

"So? Zelda's still hanging out with those lame friends of hers. We already knew that."

"Zoom in on Link and Zelda."

Nabooru gasped. "Are they holding hands?"

"Yes." He snatched his phone back and stood up, beginning to pace the room. He had to fix this.

"Look, it isn't the end of the world--"

"Isn't it?" He ran his fingers through his hair, huffing in frustration. "We've already had to modify our plans because of this stupid friend group of hers, and now if she and Link become a thing, it'll be nearly impossible to pull this off."

"Calm down." Nabooru stood and placed a comforting hand on his back. "We can figure this out."

"Are you sure? Because otherwise, that's three years of hard work down the drain."

"It'll all come together, you'll see."

"I don't know." He sighed. "Zelda and her friends are growing even closer."

Nabooru grinned. "Well, the higher she gets, the harder she'll fall."

Ganondorf laughed; Nabooru was right. "Sounds like Zelda needs a push then."

***

[Link]

Link stabbed at his salad, his eyes and attention fixed on the outskirts of the cafeteria. Zelda was there talking with Groose, and Link could tell, even from this far away, that he was flirting with her.

"What did that salad ever do to you?" asked Sheik as Link mutilated his poor salad.

"Link is just jealous." Malon gestured over to where Zelda was still chatting with Groose.

Link narrowed his eyes. "What could they possibly be talking about for this long?"

"Well, Groose is in the same English class as Zelda and I," Navi explained around a bite of food. "And they were paired up for a project today, so maybe that's it."

"Maybe..." Link glared at Groose's stupid head. Who did he think he was? Zelda and Link had a connection, and well, he wasn't entirely sure what they had, they still had something. Link's only consolation was that it seemed that Zelda wasn't reciprocating or encouraging Groose's advances. Link ate a bit of his salad but almost choked as Groose started flexing his muscles for Zelda to see. He stood up; that was it. "I'm going over there."

"Aw, Link is so jealous!" Malon batted her eyes, staring at Sheik. "If only someone felt that way about me."

"Go get her, lover boy." Sheik nodded at Link, then paused and turned to Malon. "What did you just say?"

But Link was already gone, navigating and dodging around the packed lunchroom. He hated to admit that Malon was right, but the heavy feeling settling in the base of his stomach was jealousy.

"Hey, guys, what's up?" Link asked, going for a lighthearted tone in his voice as he approached.

"Oh hey, Link." Zelda smiled at him, and he detected a hint of relief in her voice. "Groose was just talking to me about a party he's going to this weekend."

"Oh?" Link inched closer to Zelda, trying his best not to glare at Groose.

Groose narrowed his eyes at Link as he too inched closer to Zelda. "It's an open invite, so I was telling Zelda she should stop by."

"Who's throwing it?" Link asked.

Groose shrugged. "I don't know. I heard about it from Ruto, who heard about it from Ravio, who heard about it from Vaati, and so on."

"If it's an open invitation, you could come too, Link." Zelda inched closer to him, and he couldn't help but flash a victorious grin at Groose. "The whole group could come."

"I suppose so," Groose obliged. "Maybe I could pick you up--"

"Oh, no." Zelda smiled at him, trying her best not to seem rude. "Thank you, but my dad prefers if I drive myself to parties. Sorry."

"It's all good. I get it." Groose started backing up. "I'll text you the details later then."

"Sounds good." Zelda waved at him, but as soon as he was out of earshot, she sighed in relief. She looked up at Link and his breath caught; why did she have to be so cute? She smiled. "Uh, thanks for the rescue. Groose is nice, but he was kind of making me uncomfortable."

Link smiled back as they started towards the table. "No problem."

When they arrived at the table, Link could tell something was off. Sheik was looking everywhere but at Malon. Malon had her arms crossed and looked as if she was holding back tears. Navi sat in between them eating her sandwich, eyes flicking back and forth between the two.

"Is everything okay?" Zelda asked as she sat down and began eating her lunch.

Malon smiled, taking in a shaky breath. "Yes. Everything is just fine." She glared across the table. "Right, Sheik?"

Sheik fiddled with his hands. "Uh... yeah."

Link and Zelda looked at Navi for an explanation, and she mouthed, "Tell you later."

"Well, Zelda and I were talking to Groose, and it sounds like there's going to be a party this weekend." Link smiled, trying to lighten the mood. "What do you guys say? You down to party?"

Zelda jumped in. "He did, and it sounds like tons of fun. We should go."

"Of course, we'll go." Malon smiled at Sheik, but it was cold and hurt. "Maybe I'll meet someone who isn't scared of his feelings."

"I'm not scared!" Sheik blurted, finally meeting Malon's gaze.

Malon scoffed. "Yeah, right."

"It's just--"

The lunch bell screamed overhead, and Malon stood. "Well, I better go, or I'll be late for class."

She stormed off, and Zelda and Navi shared a look.

"We'd better go after her," Zelda explained as she gathered up her stuff.

"Don't forget this." Link handed Zelda her phone, which she had left on the table.

"What would I do without you?" Zelda joked, but the look in her eye made him think it might not be a joke. As he stared into her eyes, he thought that maybe, just maybe, she might feel that same way he did.

"Come on." Navi interrupted, dragging Zelda away.

Zelda waved as she left. "See you guys later."

Sheik let out a frustrated sigh. "What is up with her?"

"Who, Zelda?" Link asked, his thoughts still consumed by her beautiful green eyes and cute laugh.

"No, Malon."

Link started gathering his things. "She was not happy, dude. What happened?"

"I don't know." Sheik rested his head on the table. "She's been dropping hints for me to make a move for weeks now, but..."

"But?"

"I don't know. It's complicated."

"Do you like her?"

"Yes... no... " Sheik groaned. "Okay, maybe I do, but I don't want to mess up our friendship by trying for something more."

Link paused; he hadn't thought about that. What if, by wanting more, he ended up ruining his friendship with Zelda. He and his friends were the only friends she had. If they didn't work out, Zelda could end up all on her own again. "Oh man, now you've got me worrying too."

"Why are girls so complicated?"

Link laughed and helped his friend up. "The world may never know."

"How do I smooth things over?" Sheik asked as they headed to class. "I don't want things to be super awkward."

Link glanced at a new, brightly colored poster on the wall next to their classroom and smiled.

"This, my friend." He pointed to the poster. "Is the solution."

Sheik peered over at it. "A stupid dance is gonna fix everything?"

"It's not just any stupid dance." Link grinned. " It's prom."


	10. Jealousy

[Zelda]

"So what are you gonna do about Sheik?" asked Zelda as she, Navi, and Malon climbed into Zelda's car. The three had spent the evening laughing, talking, and getting ready for the party.

Malon grinned as she checked her makeup in the car's mirror. "I'm going to make him jealous."

Navi raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure that's a good idea?"

"Yes." Malon rolled her eyes. "He'll see me with someone else, see what he's missing, and realize how stupid he's been."

Zelda finished sending a text to Link and pulled out of her driveway. "Just be careful. You don't want to end up hurting him."

"Well, he hurt me first."

"He's still your friend."

Malon sighed in frustration. "But I want to be more than Sheik's friend, and I know he wants that too. He's just too scared."

Zelda furrowed her brow. "How can you tell?"

"Why?" Navi leaned forward. "Are you wondering about Link?"

Zelda's face felt very hot. "...N-no, that's not why."

"Uh, huh, sure."

Malon snapped her fingers, drawing the conversation back to her. "We already know that Link likes Zelda--"

"He doesn't." Zelda tried to say, but Malon kept on talking.

"--and that Zelda likes Link. Can we get back to my boy trouble?" She bit her lip. "Cause I'll need both of your guys' help tonight."

Zelda pounced at the change of subject. "Yes! Of course, we'll help. What's up?"

"Just promise to follow my lead."

"What are you planning--"

Malon cut her off. "You already said you'd help." She turned to Navi. "You in?"

"Yeah, I'm in, but what about my love life?" Navi said, sulking in the back.

Malon smiled. "Someday, a lucky boy is going to fall for you. Just wait and see."

"Ugh, I hate waiting." Navi frowned.

"Oh, cheer up." Malon plastered on a painfully bright smile, turned on the radio, and blasted an upbeat pop song. "Tonight's going to be awesome!"

***

[Link]

"Zelda just texted me that they're leaving now." Link told an anxious Sheik.

"You don't think Malon's still mad, do you?" Sheik asked above the blaring music.

Link and Sheik had just arrived at the party, which was being held at the Gerudo dunes. People were sledding down the dunes and others standing awkwardly around the refreshment tables. A roaring fire was surrounded by what looked like the whole school, and loud music from a live DJ played over the entire scene.

"Oh, she'll still be mad." Link said as he and Sheik joined the crowd by the fire. "But if we stick to the plan, she won't be anymore by the end of the night."

Sheik gulped. "But you're plan is--"

"Risky? I know." Link shoved his hands in his pocket, trying to ignore the tight feeling of nervousness in his stomach. "I'm just as nervous as you."

"Hey, what's up, guys?" Groose asked, appearing from the crowd. He looked around and frowned. "Is Zelda here yet?"

Link glowered. "No. Not yet."

"Oh, well, that's too bad." Groose pulled out his phone. "Maybe I should call her."

"That's alright." Sheik patted Link on the shoulder. "She already texted Link that she was on her way."

Link tried his best not to smirk at the look of jealousy on Groose's face. "Yep, she'll be here soon."

Groose got right up in Links face, the light from the fire, making his red hair look ablaze and accentuating the anger in his eyes. "Look here, shortie, I was the one who asked Zelda to this party, not you. Back off."

Link glared, drawing himself to his full height. "You invited her to a party; you didn't ask her on a date."

"It's the same thing."

"No, it's not."

"Do you have a death wish, shortie?"

"Well, you have one since you keep calling me shortie."

"Shut up!" Sheik interrupted, holding his phone up for Link to see. "Malon's calling me. What do I do?"

"Just answer it." Link scowled. "I'm in the middle of something."

"What if she yells at me again?"

"Stop overthinking it." Links phone began ringing too. He pulled it out-it was Zelda. He quickly picked up, and, turning away from Groose, answered it. "Hey."

"Is that Zelda?" Groose asked. "I want to talk to her."

Link shushed him and returned to the phone call. "What's up?"

"We're here. Malon tried calling Sheik, but he didn't pick up." Link could barely hear Zelda's voice over the music and Groose's shouting. "Where are you?"

"Um..." Link looked around. "In a crowd of people."

She laughed. "Very specific. How about you guys meet us by the north dune?"

"Sounds good--"

Groose grabbed Link's phone. "Zelda? Zelda, are you there?"

Link snatched his phone back and glared at Groose.

"Who was that?" Zelda asked.

Link laughed. "Oh, it was no one."

"He's lying," Groose yelled. "It's me, Groose!"

"Is everything okay?" Zelda asked, her voice cutting in and out.

"Yep, everything is fine. See you soon!" Link hung up the phone. "Let's go, Sheik."

Sheik was staring, transfixed, at his phone. "I couldn't do it. I couldn't even answer her call. Why am I like this?"

"Love makes you crazy." Link said, ushering Sheik away. "Now we've got to go."

Groose followed behind them. "I'm coming too."

"I'd prefer if you'd not."

"Well, I already texted Zelda and told her I'm coming too."

Link's eye twitched. "Great."

Between Sheik second-guessing himself every three seconds and Link's attempts to lose Groose in the crowd, it took the group much longer than it should have to reach the rendezvous point.

Link's sour mood lifted as soon as he saw Zelda waving him over. Zelda had styled her hair in an adorable half-up style, and she had traded her usual hoody for a cute blue top. In other words, she looked stunning.

"Glad you guys finally made it," Zelda said as soon as they were in earshot.

"Zelda!" Groose ran ahead and picked her up in a crushing hug. Link could tell by the look on her face she was uncomfortable. "It's so good to see you."

She extracted herself from his grip. "Same." 

"Groose?" Link asked. "Why don't you go get us something to drink?"

"What? No way--"

"I'm actually really thirsty." Zelda smiled at Groose. "A glass of water sounds heavenly right about now."

Groose smiled back. "Anything for you, Zelda."

"Sorry about him." Link said as Groose began his quest to find Zelda water.

"He means well, and he's nice." Zelda shrugged. "But sometimes..."

Link nodded. "I get what you mean." He smiled at her. "But more importantly, you look gorgeous tonight."

Zelda met his gaze, a blushing blooming across her face. "Oh?"

"Well, I mean... " Link felt his face going red too. "You always look beautiful, but with your hair like that and--"

"Thank you." She reached out and took his hand, cutting off his nervous ramblings. "And I gotta say, you look pretty handsome tonight too."

Link didn't think it was possible, but his face turned an even deeper shade of red.

"Where's Malon?" Sheik asked, finally speaking.

Link started; to be honest, he'd forgotten Sheik was there. Sheik had gone quiet, and the blood had drained out of his face. He looked so nervous that Link felt anxious just from being around him.

Zelda hesitated but finally pointed to the top of the dune. "She's up there."

From the top of the hill, Link could just make out Malon, and some random dude he'd never seen before prepare to sled down.

Sheik gawked. "What is she doing?"

"Looks like you missed your chance, buddy," Navi said, and this time Link did jump. He hadn't even noticed Navi was there, and he felt kind of guilty about that.

"What do you mean?" Sheik looked like he was moments away from passing out. "Who is she with?"

"Are you okay?" Zelda furrowed her brow in concern. "You don't look so good. I think you should sit down."

Sheik nodded but didn't move. His eyes were glued on Malon as she and the boy slid down the dune together. His voice shook with hurt. "Who is she with?"

"Come on. You need to take it easy." Link grabbed Sheik's arm, trying to get him to sit. Sheik would often get shaky and sick when he got nervous, and the whole Malon thing wasn't helping. "You're nervous and maybe a few seconds away from a panic attack, so I need you to sit down."

Sheik shook Link off, anger now lacing his voice. "Who is she with?"

"Look." Zelda stepped forward. "She's just trying to make you jealous--"

"Well, it's working!" Sheik yelled as Malon, and her mystery date reached the bottom of the dune.

The whole group was silent as she approached--the tension building.

"What's up, guys?" Malon flashed a dazzling smile. "Bozai and I are going to ride down the dune again, and I was wondering if you guys wanted to come."

"I'm sorry!" Sheik blurted out. "Malon, I'm sorry that I've been so stupid and scared. I want... I want to give us a try." He stumbled towards Malon and grabbed her hands. "Will you go to prom with me?"

Malon stared at him in awe for a few seconds before jumping up and down in excitement. "Oh, I thought you'd never come around. Of course, I'll go with you."

Sheik sighed in relief, and color started to return to his face. "I was so nervous that you were going to say no."

Zelda laughed. "Is that why you were so sickly looking?"

Sheik nodded. "I do well under anything but stress."

The conversation turned to other trivial things, and now it was Links turn to feel nervous. Over the others' heads in the group, Sheik gave Link a look, and Link knew this was his chance.

"Hey, Zelda?" Link asked, his palms starting to sweat. "Can I talk to you for a second?"

"Of c-course," Zelda responded and followed Link a little ways away from the group.

Link stopped and turned to face her. "So, as you know, we've really gotten to know each other recently."

"Yes, we have." She batted her eyelashes, and the moonlight shining behind her gave her an almost divine glow.

Without meaning to Link whispered his thoughts out loud. "How can you be so beautiful?"

Zelda blushed. "W-what?"

Shoot

He cleared his throat. "I mean... you're an excellent tutor."

"Uh, thanks?"

Link mentally face palmed--why had he just said that? That was about the stupidest thing he could've said. He needed to fix this before he lost his nerve. "You're also brilliant, funny, kind, caring, and pretty."

"You really think so?" She swept her hair behind her ears, and his heart skipped a beat. Why was everything she did so cute?

"Of course I do."

"Link--"

"And I don't want to make you feel awkward or uncomfortable, but..." Link took a deep breath, feeling bad for cutting her off, but he was on a roll and couldn't stop now. "Do you want to go to prom with me?"

"Yes!" Zelda hugged him, and he eagerly returned the hug. (Her hair still smelled like strawberries.)

Link smiled; he liked holding her in his arms.

They were interrupted by the sound of applause, and, pulling apart, they saw Malon and Sheik clapping and hollering. Navi stood off to the side, looking downtrodden. He'd have to ask her what was wrong later.

"I take it she said yes?" Sheik asked, raising his voice so it would cover the distance.

Link laughed, and he and Zelda returned to the group. "She did indeed."

Malon squealed. "We can all go together!"

"We can find a date for you too, Navi." Zelda smiled at her.

Navi glared back. "I don't want a pity date."

"Tons of guys would kill for a date with you," Malon said. "I wouldn't be a pity--"

"ZELDA!"

The group turned to see Groose running towards them, a water bottle in hand.

"Zelda..." Groose paused to catch his breath and, with a dramatic flourish, presented the water to her. "I got it. It took a while to find since, you know, it's a desert. I mean, there was a punch, but you said you wanted water, so water I found."

"Thanks, Groose," Zelda said. "I appreciate it."

"Now, how about you come to prom with me as repayment?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, Groose." Zelda looked up at Link, her eyes gleaming with joy. "But I already have a date."

Link smiled back, in awe at how beautiful, amazing, and kind she was. He wasn't quite sure what he and Zelda were yet, but Link knew one thing for sure--he had the best prom date ever.

***

[Ganondorf]

Ganondorf stared down at the group of friends from the top of the dune. Everything had worked out better than anticipated.

"Remind me why we want Zelda and Link to go to prom together again?" Nabooru asked.

Ganondorf smirked. "As you said, the higher she gets, the harder she'll fall. I want Zelda as high as she can get, so when she falls, she won't recover."

"And Navi? Where does she fit in with all of this?"

He shrugged. "She's a recent addition. It's obvious to anyone she's feeling left out and jealous. With a little manipulation, she could be a great asset to the plan."

Nabooru kissed him. "See, I told you things would work out."

Ganondorf smiled. "They always do."


	11. Family

[Zelda]

Zelda sighed in frustration, throwing her homework down on her bed. It wasn't that she didn't understand the biology assignment; she couldn't focus. Her houses' complete stillness and utter emptiness were driving her crazy.

It was 6:30 on a Tuesday night, and she found herself, as she often did when at home, feeling lonely. After the night of the party, her dad had left for a business trip to Castle Town. He'd gone so early in the morning that she hadn't even been able to tell him about Link asking her to prom.

At the thought of Link, Zelda fell back unto her bed, staring dreamy-eyed at the ceiling. Her thoughts were drifting, as they often did, to Link.

He was the most fantastic person she'd ever met. She had felt so alone and unhappy, but now, with his bright smile and laugh a regular part of her day, Zelda had to admit she was the happiest she'd been in a long time. Link had stood up to Ganondorf for her, and whatever he'd done had worked. Ganondorf hadn't bothered her since that dreadful night after the basketball game. Maybe it was because Link ensured she was never alone at school anymore, making sure Ganondorf couldn't try anything.

Zelda closed her eyes. She indeed was grateful for Link. Not only had he shown her kindness, but Link had gotten to know Zelda and given her the friendship, she had desperately been craving. For so long, Zelda had wanted someone to talk to; someone to rely on; someone who cared about her; someone she could trust. She had found that in Link, and now they were going to go to prom together. Zelda couldn't be more excited and couldn't help but hope that maybe she and Link could be more than friends.

Bzzt. Bzzt.

She pulled out her phone and, opening her eyes, saw a text message from Link. She tried to calm her racing heart as she replied.

~~  
Link: Hey! Wyd???

Zelda: Just the biology homework :/

Link: Haha, same XD  
~~

She tried to calm her racing heart as she replied 

Zelda bit her lip, thinking. If both of them were doing homework, then why not do it together? Link had said she could come over whenever, but she'd never taken him up on that offer... yet.

Besides, her dark, empty house was a distraction, but then again, so was Link. Zelda ran her fingers through her hair, trying not to overthink like she usually did. The truth was Link was by far better distraction than her depressing house, so plucking up her courage, she sent the text.

~~  
Zelda: Maybe, we could work together?

Link: YES! You should come over here!!! My mom just put cinnamon rolls in the oven :) 

Zelda: Yum! I'll be over soon!

Link: Can't wait!!!!!!  
~~

Grinning, Zelda grabbed her jacket, slung her backpack over her shoulder, and, checking her appearance in her bedroom mirror, headed out. 

Links house was only across the street and three houses down from Zelda's, so the walk didn't take long. Before she knew it, she was on his front porch swallowing her nerves as she knocked. From inside the house, she heard the scrapping of chairs and footsteps. The door opened to reveal a young girl, maybe thirteen, with the same blond hair and blue eyes as Link. Zelda smiled; she must be Links younger sister, Aryll. He had mentioned her quite often.

"How did Link get a girlfriend as cute as you?" Aryll asked, her eyes furrowed in confusion.

"Uh..." Zelda stared at her, stunned. What sort of question was that?

"Is that Zelda?" Links familiar voice called from within the house.

"Yes!" Aryll responded, stepping aside so Zelda could enter.

Zelda stepped inside, immediately becoming engulfed by the delicious scent of baking cinnamon rolls. Not only that, but Link's house had a very different feel from her own. While hers felt cold, dead even, Link's home was warm and cheerful. There were pictures of him and his family hanging on the walls, along with cheesy sayings and decor. The couches looked well worn but comfy, and there was an antique piano in the corner.

"Hey, Zelda!" Link emerged from the kitchen looking as handsome as usual, and Zelda tried to ignore the sudden beating of her heart. "We can work in the kitchen."

"Sounds good." She smiled, following him back into the kitchen. The kitchen was bright with white cabinets and counters, but what caught her attention was the elegant, beautiful woman washing dishes.

The woman turned as they entered and, drying her hand, extended it towards Zelda. "I'm Calla, Link's mom. It's so good to meet you finally."

Zelda shook the woman's hand. "It's nice to meet you too."

Calla's eyes shone with the same kindness Zelda often saw in Links. "Link's talked a lot about you."

"All good things, I hope." Zelda laughed but could feel the tips of her ears turning red. Did Link talk about her?

"Why, of course! He's told us all about his pretty, smart friend who--"

Link cleared his throat; his face had gone slightly red. "Thanks, mom, but we should get started on our homework."

Calla winked at him. "Have fun."

"We will."

Zelda followed Link over to the kitchen table, which had his homework strewn across it. They sat down next to each other, and Zelda brought out her homework. They talked about everything while 'doing' their homework. Link made her laugh so hard Zelda thought she might stop breathing when he told her about a time he had befriended a wolf.

The whole time she couldn't stop smiling. She had been right; Link was a much better distraction.

"So when does your dad get back?" Link asked as he flipped through his biology textbook.

Zelda scribbled an answer down. "He'll get back from his business trip this Friday--"

A loud crash from the sink interrupted her, and Calla appeared at the table quicker than Zelda thought possible. "Are you home alone?"

Zelda sank back in her chair. "... yeah... is that bad?"

Calla huffed. "Your father just left you all by yourself?"

"Well, we have cameras and a security system--"

"And you're 17?"

Zelda nodded.

"What if someone broke into your house?"

"I lock the doors--"

"Do you have enough food?"

"Yeah, I usually cook for myself anyways--"

"Is this a frequent occurrence?"

Zelda gulped. She wasn't used to this much adult attention, not since her mom died. "Yep, uh, I hardly ever even see my dad usually, so it's not much of a change."

"I don't want to overstep any boundaries, and I know every parent is different, but..." Calla crossed her arms. "I can't bear the thought of you all alone in that massive house."

"It's not that bad." Zelda shrugged through the lie. The truth was she liked being at Links house way better than hers. It felt welcoming, warm, and safe (plus Link was there).

Calla sat down across from Zelda. "I used to be left alone by my parents all the time too, and it can be..." She hesitated, looking for the right word. "Lonely. But I want you to know that you can come over here anytime you want. Our door is always open."

Zelda smiled. "Thanks, Mrs. Hylia."

"Please call me Calla."

"Thanks, Calla."

The beep of the oven timer interrupted, and Calla left to check on the cinnamon rolls.

"She's right, you know." Link looked over at Zelda. "You can come over whenever."

"I might take you up on that offer." She looked down. "Sometimes, my house just feels so... empty."

Link placed his hand over hers and gave it an encouraging squeeze. "I get that."

A loud squeal interrupted them. "Mom! Mom! Link and Zelda are holding hands!"

The two quickly pulled apart and spun to see Aryll in the kitchen entrance with a massive grin on her face.

"Oh, stop teasing them." Calla scolded as she placed two delicious looking cinnamon rolls on the table.

"Aryll... why don't you take your cinnamon roll and go watch Netflix or something?" Link asked, a warning tone in his voice.

Calla clapped her hands. "That's an excellent idea! I'll join her. There's a show I've meant to catch up on."

"But your shows are boring," Aryll complained as her mother led her out of the kitchen, cinnamon rolls in hand.

When they were gone, Link turned back to Zelda. "Sorry about that."

"It's all good." Zelda smiled. "Your family seems super nice."

"They are." Link grabbed one of the cinnamon rolls and passed the other to Zelda. "Now, these cinnamon rolls aren't going to eat themselves."

Zelda laughed, and the two started eating, picking up another easy conversation.

Zelda liked it here. She liked it a lot. Links family was so lovely and welcoming. She could see herself spending a lot more time here. Besides, spending time with Link wasn't a bad thing. It wasn't a bad thing at all.


	12. Shopping

[Zelda]

Zelda sucked in her stomach, zipping the elegant dress up. This gown was maybe the sixth dress she'd tried on so far. It was Friday night, and she, Malon, and Navi had decided to go prom dress shopping even though the dance was still two weeks away. Malon said that it was better to find a dress early and, since Zelda hadn't ever been to a dance before, she figured Malon knew best. Zelda finished zipping her skirt up and sighed in relief; she hated zippers.

"Are you done?" called Malon, knocking on Zelda's dressing room door.

"Coming." Zelda inspected herself in the mirror. The dress's silky purple fabric complimented her complexion and shimmered in the light.

She gave her reflection one more smile before opening the door and stepping outside. She was greeted by Malon, who was wearing an extravagant gold dress with a sweetheart neckline and puffy skirt. The dress accentuated Malon's red hair, and she looked stunning.

"I love it!" Malon squealed, taking in Zelda's dress, and then dragged her to the three giant mirrors at the end of the dressing room area. "So... What do you think?"

"Um..." Zelda crossed her arms over her chest, suddenly feeling very self-conscious. It was true that the dress was beautiful. It hung on her just right and accentuated her curves, but she didn't feel pretty in it. She felt uncomfortable. She liked wearing baggy clothes, and this dress, while stunning, was way out of her comfort zone.

"I can tell by the look on your face that you don't like it," Malon said.

Zelda sighed. "It's pretty, but I want something a little less... showy."

"Why? You look amazing, and you have the curves, so why not show them off?"

Zelda glanced up at Malon, who was inspecting herself in the mirror now. "I'm just not as confident as you, and I want to feel confident in my dress, especially since..."

Malon raised her eyebrow. "Since?"

"Since I'm going with Link." Zelda flushed. "I just want to be myself, and this dress is not me."

"I get that." Malon tapped her chin. "So what kind of dress do you want?"

Zelda opened her mouth, then closed it again. "Don't laugh, but..." She swallowed. "I want to feel like a princess. So a princess dress, I guess?"

Malon didn't laugh; she just smiled. "Is it because you want Link to be your knight in shining armor?"

Zelda's blush deepened. "W-what? I never said--"

"Don't worry. I'm just teasing." Malon winked. "And don't worry, we're going to find you the greatest princess dress of all time! I saw a dress that might work. Wait here."

Malon practically ran back out to the sale floor. Zelda chuckled and turned around to the mirror. Malon was terrific, and she was lucky to have such a great friend.

"Are you going with that one?"

Zelda turned to see Navi exiting her dressing room but frowned when she noticed Navi was wearing her regular clothes instead of a dress. "Are you done trying on dresses?"

Navi leaned against the wall. "Yeah. I figured what was the point? No one's going to ask me anyway."

"Don't say that. You'll get asked."

Navi glared down at her feet, a flash of anger crossing over her face. "Sure."

"Are you okay?" Zelda took a step towards her. "You seem... angry."

"Well, maybe, I am!" Navi looked up at Zelda, no longer trying to cover her anger. "It's not fair that I haven't been asked yet." She stomped her foot. "And how come Link asked you? I've known him for years. Years! Then you show up and help him get a pretty new math grade, and now suddenly I'm pushed to the side? It's not only Link; it's the whole group! Why am I suddenly the fifth wheel?"

Zelda stared at Navi, stunned. Where had this anger come from? "I'm sorry, Navi. My intention was never to hurt your feelings. I just... I just wanted to be included and make friends."

"And you being included comes at the cost of me being excluded?" Navi clenched her fists. "It's not fair."

"Sometimes life isn't fair--"

"Oh! You're one to talk." Navi took a step towards her. "You're a little miss perfect. You have good grades, a giant house, a fancy car, and the most amazing boy ever as your boyfriend. Your life seems pretty good to me."

"He's not--"

"I don't care!" Navi sniffed, tears now filling her eyes. "Everything was fine until you showed up." 

"Look, I'm sorry." Zelda felt her heart squeeze; she had no idea Navi felt this way. "What can I do?"

"I don't know." Navi wiped at her eyes. "I want you to have friends, Zelda. I'm just jealous that all of my friends seem to like you more."

"They don't, I promise. Maybe we can talk to Link, Sheik, ad Malon about it? Sometimes the best thing to do is talk about our problems."

"How would you know? You've never really had friends before."

Zelda hesitated. "Well, now I do, and you're one of those friends Navi. I don't want to lose you." Another girl entered the dressing room area, her arms filled with dresses. "Can we talk about this later when we aren't in public?"

"Sure." Navi shrugged. "I'm sorry if what I said hurt your feelings, but I had to say it. I felt like I was going to explode."

"I'm glad you told me." Zelda smiled, though she felt more like crying. "We'll figure this out."

"Okay. In that case, I'm going home." Navi turned to leave. "Tell Malon I wasn't feeling well or something."

Zelda nodded and waved goodbye.

Zelda turned back to the mirror, trying to stop her mind from overthinking things. She had had no idea that Navi felt that way, so was it possible that the others felt that way too? Zelda shook her head. They had given no indication that they didn't like her, but Navi hadn't either.

What if Sheik didn't think that she was funny and instead thought her annoying?

What if Malon didn't consider Zelda her best friend but a nuisance instead?

What if Link didn't like Zelda? What if all she was to him was a way to raise his math grade?

"Are you okay?" Malon asked, coming back into the dressing room area. "You look pale."

Zelda swiveled around. "I'm fine."

"Where'd Navi go?"

"Uh.. she wasn't feeling well, so she went home." Zelda hoped her voice didn't sound as shaking as she felt.

Malon frowned. "That's too bad because she'll miss seeing you try this on!"

From behind her back, Malon pulled out the most beautiful dress Zelda had ever seen.

Zelda gasped. "Where did you find this?"

"Took some digging and talking to a few sale clerks, but I promised you the most wonderful princess dress ever. Didn't I?"

Zelda snatched the dress and hurried to the dressing room. All thoughts of the fight she'd had with Navi, and the possibility of everyone secretly hating her left her mind as she tried the dress on.

She caught her breath as she glimpsed her reflection in the dressing room's mirror. The dress was fitted at the top with a slight sweetheart neckline. At her waist, the dress cascaded down in sheets of tulle, but the most beautiful part was the diamonds. There were thousands sewn onto the skirt, starting at the top and tumbling down to the gown's base, and their shine against the dress's royal blue fabric gave the impressions of stars. Zelda twirled, feeling the fabric shift around her, and couldn't help but smile.

She needed to show Malon. 

Zelda opened the door, and Malon gasped, clapping her hands over her mouth. "Oh, Zelda, you look amazing."

Zelda couldn't help but agree with her. She didn't usually feel pretty, but this dress changed that. A huge smile spread over her lips. The dress made her feel like a princess. "I think I've found my dress."

***

[Navi]

Navi stormed out of the mall, trying to remember where she'd parked her car. She scanned the parking lot with no luck. The mall's massive parking lot had filled up since they had gotten here.

"Hey, Navi!"

Navi swiveled, preparing to tell off whoever dared to talk to her when she was in such a terrible mood, but paused. Ganondorf and Nabooru were exiting the mall and waving at her.

"What are you doing here?" asked Nabooru. "Are you prom dress shopping?"

"I was."

"I thought you hadn't been asked."

Navi's eye twitched. "Nope, not yet."

"I thought that Link would've asked you," Ganondorf said.

Nabooru leaned over to whisper to Ganondorf, but the whisper was more of a shout. "Link asked Zelda."

Ganondorf's eyes went wide with surprise. "Really?"

Navi rolled her eyes. "Yep, but it's fine."

"Is it, though?" Ganondorf took a step towards her. "I don't want to overstep here, but I've noticed how your friends--how Link--look at Zelda. It seems you have been replaced."

Navi crossed her arms. "Look, Ganondorf. I know what you did to Zelda, and to be honest, you're a jerk, so excuse me if I don't trust your opinion."

"Oh, come on, you have to admit that things have changed since Zelda joined your group."

Navi hesitated. She hated to admit it, but Ganondorf was partly right. She had noticed that her friends were growing more distant from her as they grew closer to Zelda. "It doesn't matter. Zelda's pretty cool, and we'll work things out."

"Will you?" Ganondorf took another step forward. "Things in the friend group might balance themselves back out, but what about with Link? You have to have noticed how he looks at Zelda, how he acts around her. You might not lose your friends to Zelda, but you'll lose Link."

"I don't have a crush on him, so why should I care?"

Nabooru snorted. "That's a lie. Your friends might not have noticed, but you have a thing for Link."

Navi blushed. "I did back in middle school, but not anymore."

"Keep telling yourself that," Nabooru said in sing-song.

Ganondorf shrugged. "All we're saying is that we can help you with your Zelda problem."

"Zelda and I are still friends, so she's not a problem, but thanks for the offer." Navi smiled, finally spotting her car. "See you guys at school."

With that, Navi turned and walked away. Ganondorf and Nabooru were the worst. She might have some beef with Zelda, but she wasn't about to betray her. Zelda was nice and pretty and smart and had a cute laugh and... and was a better version of Navi.

Navi shook her head. She couldn't think like that; her friends wouldn't replace her. And so what if Link had asked Zelda to prom? Navi had seen that coming, but it still hurt.

The truth was, she wasn't entirely over Link, and part of her was jealous of how quickly Link and Zelda had connected and how much they seemed to like each other. But she could sort out her problems. She didn't need Ganondorf's help.


	13. Fight

[Zelda]

Zelda put her car in park. Dark clouds were gathering in the sky, threatening to rain. She couldn't risk her dress getting ruined, so, gathering up the beautiful gown, she went inside.

The elegant clock above the fireplace read 8:30 pm. Zelda had about another hour or two before her father got home from his business trip.

When she got to her room, Zelda hung up her dress. She couldn't help but stare at it, admiring its beauty. She was so excited and happy that she had found it that she could barely restrain herself from squealing like a little girl.

Finally removing her gaze from her dress, Zelda looked around the room, searching for something to do until her dad got home. Her eyes snagged on a half-finished poster in the corner. Smiling, she pulled it out.

She was making the poster for the state championship basketball game next week. It had been Malon's idea to make encouraging posters for both Link and Sheik. Of course, Malon had called making Sheiks, so that had left Zelda in charge of creating one for Link. But she didn't mind. It was the least she could do for Link after all he'd done for her.

Zelda pulled out her phone and, turning on her favorite playlist, began working. This poster was going to be incredible!

She had maybe worked for thirty minutes and was in the middle of singing along to her favorite song when a loud knock sounded on her door.

"Zelda?"

She tensed and glanced at her phone--the time read 9:00. Her father was home early.

"Turn that music down." Her father demanded, entering her room. "I can't even think it's so loud."

"S-sorry." Zelda fumbled for a few seconds before she successfully turned it off. "Uh... you're home early."

"Traffic wasn't as bad as usual."

"Did you enjoy the trip?"

Her father shrugged. "It was the same old."

Zelda stood up. She caught a glimpse of her beautiful dress over her father's shoulder, and dread settled in the base of her stomach.

She still hadn't told her father about going to prom yet, and she had no idea how he'd respond.

"Is something wrong?" He followed her gaze. "Where did you get that dress?"

Zelda bit her lip. It was now or never. "Well, Malon and I went dress shopping today. Because... um..." She cleared her throat. "My friend, Link, asked me to prom last week. I said yes--well, obviously I did since I bought a dress--but, uh, the dance is in two weeks, so...yeah."

Zelda bounced nervously on her heels. Her father didn't look too angry, but it was hard to tell since he was always frowning.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

She froze. "Well, I wanted to tell you in person, and you were on a business trip."

"And you went dress shopping today?"

"Yes."

"Without telling me?"

She gulped." Yes."

Her father's scowl went from annoyed to furious. Yep, he was angry. "You know that you're only supposed to leave the house to go to and from school while I'm gone."

"I was with Malon. I was--I am fine."

"You should've asked me. What if something had happened?"

"Nothing happened." Zelda crossed her arms. "Besides, you're too busy to respond to texts or calls anyway."

He brushed her comment aside. "The point is that you disobeyed me. Ever since you started hanging out with those friends of yours, you've been more rebellious, and your grades have slipped."

Zelda scoffed. "From what? A hundred percent to a ninety-nine percent?"

He glared. "That's it. You're grounded."

"WHAT?" Zelda hadn't meant to yell, but that had come out of nowhere. "I didn't do anything wrong."

"You've been sneaking around--"

"Oh! So I don't tell you my every move once, and I'm grounded." She stomped her foot. She didn't care if it made her seem childish.

"I'm done with this conversation." He turned and left, but Zelda was right on his heel.

"You never tell me where you are or what you're doing." She countered when they arrived in the living room.

Her father faced her. "I can do what I want. I'm an adult."

"No, you're a hypocrite."

That made him angry.

"I provide everything for you!" His eye twitched, and spit flew from his mouth. "You're just a spoiled brat."

She flinched. "I'm not."

"This conversation is over."

"I'm not some princess you can lock up in a tower." She yelled at her father's retreating back. He didn't turn around, but Zelda was upset, and she needed answers. "What did I ever do to you?!"

"Zelda..." He turned, a dangerous tone in his voice.

"No, I want to know." Angry, hot tears escaped her eyes. "I do everything I'm told. I cook, clean, and get good grades. So what's wrong with me?" She took a breath. "Why don't you love me?"

He stumbled back as if he'd been struck. "It's not your fault. It's just..." He took a deep breath. "Every time I look at you, I see her."

Zelda didn't have to ask to know that he was referring to her mother, and she took note that he hadn't denied that he didn't love her.

"You're a constant reminder of how I failed her." Her father paused. "I shouldn't have taken that case. I knew the risks, but I ignored them. And now she's gone, and I'm stuck with..."

He trailed off, but Zelda knew what he was going to say.

He was stuck with her. His disappointment of a daughter and a constant reminder of all he'd lost.

"You have failed, mom," Zelda whispered, trying to ignore the ache in her heart.

"What?"

Zelda looked him straight in the eyes. "You have failed, mom. She talked to me; she laughed with me; she spent time with me; she cared about me; she loved me!" Zelda ignored the tears racing down her cheeks. "And mom would've wanted you to do the same. Not push me aside and neglect me. So, yeah, you've failed both her and me."

Her father's fists clenched. "How dare you! This is my house, and I won't put up with this anymore."

"Me either." Zelda grabbed her jacket lying across the back of the couch and ran out of the house, slamming the door behind her.

The clouds had followed through with their threats, and rain poured down in sheets from the sky--at least the weather respected her feelings.

Zelda pulled up her hood and braved the storm. Her tears joined the rain.

This day had been going so well, but now she was cold, miserable, confused, and wishing she'd grabbed her car keys.

Why couldn't her father love her? It wasn't her fault that her mom died or that she looked almost exactly like her. It wasn't fair that he resented her for that. She was tired--so tired--of trying hard to meet his expectations to only fall short time and time again.

But Zelda shouldn't have to earn her father's love; no one should ever have to earn anyone's love. The truth is, all she wanted to do was to curl up in a ball and cry until the unbearable pain in her heart went away.

"Zelda!"

***

[Link]

It was raining cats and dogs.

And while Link would've preferred to be in his warm house under a blanket watching Netflix, his mom had needed a few things from the store. The said groceries were now safely in the back of his car, and he was heading home.

Link finally pulled into his driveway and, turning the engine off, leaned his head against the headrest. He liked listening to the pounding of the rain on his car roof.

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a figure walking out in the rain. They must be crazy or an exercise fanatic to out in this downpour. 

Link was about to close his eyes but paused. The figure looked oddly familiar. The wind blew a strand of blonde hair out from under the figure's hood, and Link knew exactly who it was.

"Zelda!"' He called, stepping out of his car.

She turned towards him, and Link knew instantly that something was wrong.

Her eyes were filled with pain, and the streaks of water running down her face weren't just from the rain.

"Are you okay?" Link asked, ignoring the rain and running to her. "Why are you outside in this weather?"

Zelda bit her lip, fresh tears pooling in her eyes. She looked up and, not saying a word, held out her arms.

That was all Link needed to wrap her in a hug. He ignored the coldness of the rain seeping into his bones and instead focused on the girl in his arms. Something was most definitely wrong. He could hear her sobs over the splattering of the rain.

Link pulled Zelda closer, wishing he could take away whatever pain was making her cry.

"Link?"

He looked up to see his mom standing on their porch.

"What are you--oh..." She had spotted Zelda. "Why don't both of you come inside? I'll make you hot chocolate."

"Is that okay?" Link asked Zelda.

She nodded.

Link wrapped his arm around her shoulder and led her inside.

Soon they were sitting on the couch wrapped in blankets, hot chocolates in hand. The fireplace was roaring and softly illuminating the living room.

Zelda hadn't touched her hot chocolate. She was staring off into space, her eyes glazed over.

Link set his mug down on the coffee table and turned to face her. "I can't take it anymore. What's wrong?"

Zelda didn't look at him; her eyes were still staring at nothing. "My father came home tonight, and we... we got in a fight." Her voice shook. "He told me it's painful for him to be around me since I look like my mom, that I'm a disappointment, and that... that..." A single tear escaped her eye. "That he doesn't love me anymore. I'm j-just a financial and emotional b-burden."

Zelda's hands were shaking so bad that Link feared her drink would spill. He took it from her and set it next to his. Then he took her shaking hands in his. "Look at me, please."

Zelda blinked a few times before meeting his gaze.

"You. Are. Not. A. Burden." He squeezed her hands. "Your dad is a fool if he thinks that. He sounds like a lying jerk."

Zelda laughed through another sob. "You could say that."

"He's lying, Zelda. Everything he told you isn't true."

"But what if it is?" Zelda looked down, her lower lip trembling. "My father doesn't even love me... maybe I'm just unlovable."

"Don't say that." He lifted her chin, so she had to meet his eyes. He moved his hand up to her cheek and wiped away her tears. "You aren't unlovable. You're smart, kind, beautiful, and good. It's not your fault that your dad is too blind to see that."

"Thanks." Zelda held his gaze, and something in the air changed. Why was it suddenly so hot in here?

"I mean it, Zelda. I do."

She smiled, and Link's heart skittered. With the firelight gleaming off her hair and that smile--oh, that smile--she looked stunning.

Link leaned forward at the same time Zelda did. His heart was pounding in his ears, and his eyes snagged on Zelda's lips.

"Are you done with your hot chocolate?"

Link and Zelda jumped apart moments before their lips touched. Link turned to see his mom in the kitchen doorway.

Calla frowned. "The fireplace must be too hot. Your face is red, Link."

He knew she was right about the color of his face, but it wasn't the heat that caused his flush. "Uh... yep?" He chuckled awkwardly. "That darn fireplace."

Link glanced over at Zelda, who was devotedly staring at a picture on the wall. Her face was flushed too.

Calla came and turned the fireplace down, the flames flickering into nonexistence. "Is everything okay, Zelda?"

Zelda cleared her throat. "Uh... not really."

"Do you need a place to stay?"

"I mean, I could go home, but..." Zelda's voice caught.

"We have a guest room you can stay in if you want." Calla smiled. "And I'm sure I can find you some dry clothes."

"I don't want to be an inconvenience."

Calla crossed over to Zelda and squeezed her shoulder gently. "You're always welcome here, and you are never an inconvenience."

Fresh tears filled Zelda's eyes. "Thank you. I don't know how I can make it up to you--"

"Uh, uh, uh." Calla smiled. "You don't have to make anything up. Now come on, it's late, and you look exhausted. I'll show you where you are staying and help you get settled."

Calla helped Zelda up and led her upstairs.

"Goodnight." Link called after her. "And don't forget what I said."

"I won't." Zelda flushed, and Link thought that she looked adorable. "Goodnight."

Once Zelda and his mom were out of sight, Link smiled and flopped onto the couch. His heart was still pounding, and he wondered if Zelda's was too. They had almost kissed, and his blush deepened at the thought.

Link sat up and grabbed his hot chocolate. It was cold by now, but he just needed something to keep his hands busy as his mind raced.

Zelda thought she was unlovable, that no one would ever love her. However, Link was one hundred percent certain that was untrue.


	14. Date

[Zelda]

Zelda grumbled at the light shining through the window. 

She wasn't ready to wake up yet. She was still tired and had been having the most beautiful dream. Closing her eyes, she willed the dream to continue.

In the dream, she and Link were sitting on a couch in front of a crackling fire. He leaned forward, and she moved to meet him halfway. She could already imagine the brush of his lips against hers...

Zelda sat bolt upright, suddenly feeling wide awake. That hadn't been a dream. She and Link had almost kissed last night.

Her face flushed at the memory, but a sense of euphoria flooded her veins.

Link had almost kissed her.

Link had almost kissed her!

Zelda bit her lip, trying to stop herself from smiling, but it didn't work. She would be smiling for days. It was hard to wrangle her emotions when she felt like she was on cloud nine.

Knock. Knock.

"Zelda, sweetie," Calla's voice said, floating through the door. "Are you up?"

Zelda shook her head, forcing herself back to reality. "Yeah, I'm up."

Calla entered, holding a pile of neatly folded clothes. It took Zelda a few seconds to realize that they were hers. "I hope you don't mind, but I washed your clothes for you."

"Thank you." Zelda took her clean clothes and suddenly felt on the verge of tears. It had been years since someone had done her the simple kindness of washing her clothes.

"Of course, sweetie." Calla smiled. "And when you're ready, you can come down for breakfast. I'm making pancakes!"

"I'll be down soon."

Calla nodded and left, closing the door behind her.

Zelda ran her hands over her folded clothes. She was currently wearing a pair of Calla's pajamas, and, while they were way too long for her, she didn't mind wearing them.

It had been nice of Calla to let her borrow them and even more nice of her to wash Zelda's clothes. It was the kind of motherly action that Zelda had been longing for since her own mother's death.

The thought of her mother made Zeda's heart squeeze. She missed her mother terribly, and her father was, well, kind of a jerk, as Link put it.

Zelda set her clothes aside and picked up her phone, hoping to see a text from her father, but, like usual, nothing.

She growled in frustration. She had sent her father a text last night telling him that she was safe but staying at a friend's house, and he couldn't even be bothered to respond?

Zelda set her phone down. She didn't want to deal with her father and all the painful emotions tangled up around him right now. She would take things one step at a time. Right now, her next step was to get dressed, so she'd start with that.

After getting dressed, Zelda inspected herself in a mirror that hung on the back of the guestroom's door.

Her hair looked a little ruffled, but that's how it usually looked. However, something was still missing—her hoodie. In her hast to leave last night, she had only grabbed a jacket, and she found herself missing both the warmth and security it gave her.

Zelda's stomach growled, a sure sign that it was time to head down to breakfast.

She reached down and opened her door to find Link standing there. His hand raised as if he was about to knock, and he was holding something behind his back.

Link froze for half a second before lowering his hand and flashing her a grin. Though, for some reason, Zelda thought he looked slightly nervous.

"Oh, hey, Zelda. How's it going?"

"Uh, good. How about you?"

"I'm good too."

"That's good." Zelda flinched. Why was this so awkward?

"Anyways...uh..." Link cleared his throat. "Well, I figured that you wouldn't want to go home this morning since what happened last night." He started tapping his free hand, nervously on his leg. "Not that I want to bring that up again or anything... But, uh, I noticed yesterday that you didn't have your signature hoodie, and I know how much you like wearing them." Links face was bright red. "So I thought you could wear one of mine."

He pulled out a light blue hoodie with a white triforce symbol on the chest from behind his back.

"It's probably too big." Link rubbed the back of his neck, and Zelda noted how cute he was when he was nervous. "But I thought it'd be better than nothing."

"Thank you, Link." Zelda took the sweatshirt, trying to cover her blush. "And you were right. I don't want to go home—at least, not yet—and I was missing my hoodie."

She pulled the sweatshirt over her head and pulled her hair out. "So, how do I look?"

"Beautiful."

Zelda looked up, stunned. She had meant it as a joke because she didn't have to see herself to know that hoodie was too big, and putting it on had ruined her already messy hair. But when she met Links gaze, she found him looking at her--no, not looking but admiring.

"Thanks." She didn't mind the look, but she still flushed under his intense gaze.

Link blinked. His blush deepened even more after he realized she had caught him staring. "Sorry, uh, but you do look beautiful."

"And you look beautiful too."

"What?"

"Handsome!" Zelda wanted to crawl in a hole and die. Why was she so awkward? "I meant handsome; you look handsome."

Link laughed, dispersing all the awkwardness Zelda felt. "I get what you mean, and thanks."

"Breakfast!" Calla yelled from downstairs.

"Looks like we better head down," Link said.

"Yeah, and, um, Link?"

He paused and turned to face her. Zelda summoned her courage and slipped her hand into his. He stared at her, looking pleasantly surprised, and she smiled. "Thank you. Not just for the sweatshirt, but for being there for me."

"I'll always be here for you." Link squeezed her hand. "And thank you."

"For what?"

"For just being you." Link grinned and pulled her down the stairs after him. "I have a fun day planned for us. Um, that is if you're up for it."

"I'm always up for a day with you." Zelda blushed. What she had said was forward of her. Maybe too forward?

"As you should be." Link winked at her. "But before we do anything else--breakfast!"

Zelda and Link arrived in the kitchen to the smell of pancakes and bacon. 

Today was going to be a great day.

***

"I've got to show you this book shop!" Link's eyes sparkled with excitement as he guided Zelda around downtown Kakariko. "You'll love it."

"You've been in a bookstore?" Zelda teased.

"I'm a secret book worm."

Zelda laughed and jokingly shoved Link. "You are such a liar."

"I'm not!" Link laughed too.

"Okay, sure. Whatever you say."

"What? Do you still not believe me?"

Zelda shrugged. "You'll have to do more convincing."

"Well then, my lady." Link held out his arm for her. "Follow me, and I shall prove you wrong."

Zelda took his arm. "Go ahead and try, my lord."

Laughing still, Link and Zelda continued on their way.

They were passing a playground that resembled a castle when an older man flagged them down. "Link!"

"Hey, Uncle Deku." Link said as they came to a stop.

Now that Zelda was closer, she noticed that the man's many smile wrinkles around his eyes and face slightly resembled a tree. He had a huge smile, matched only by his bushy mustache.

"It's so good to see you," Uncle Deku said. "And this lovely young lady must be Zelda."

Zelda smiled and held out her hand. "It's nice to meet you, sir."

"And you too." He shook her hand. "Link sure talks about you a lot."

"Really?" Zelda glanced at Link.

Link shrugged. "You can't blame me. You're too awesome not to talk about."

Zelda's ears went red.

Uncle Deku chuckled. "Very true, Link. Now might I ask you a small favor?"

"Sure, what's up?"

"I need to run an errand fast, but I need someone to keep an eye on the children. Can you do that? Then you two can get back to your date."

"I think we can do that." Link turned to Zelda. "If that's okay with you?"

Zelda nodded, trying to hide a smile. Link hadn't said that this wasn't a date.

"Great, be back in fifteen minutes." Uncle Deku waved as he left.

Zelda turned her attention to the playground, which had monkey bars, swings, a climbing wall, and two brightly colored slides upon further inspection. Seven kids were climbing all over, laughing and playing with each other.

"Uncle Deku runs Korok daycare." Link explained. "Sometimes, Aryll and I will help out with the kids."

"That's sweet of you."

"You think so?"

A young boy, maybe eight, ran over and tugged on Link's sleeve. "Link, can we play Castle Raiders?"

"Sure thing, Aldo." Link smiled as the others joined them. "Who wants to be the princess or prince?"

"I'll be the princess if she'll come with me." A young girl, who couldn't be more than seven, had spoken and pointed at Zelda.

"Sure thing." Zelda smiled at her. "What's your name?"

"Kula."

"Nice to meet you. I'm Zelda."

"You're awfully pretty," Kula said.

Zelda smiled. "Why, thank you, Kula. You're awfully pretty yourself."

"Now that we've established that both Zelda and Kula are going to be our beautiful princesses let's play!" Link said. 

The children all cheered, and Link joined in too.

Zelda couldn't help but laugh as she followed Kula up to the top of the castle playground. "So what do we do?"

Kula bounced up and down. "Link is our knight in shining armor, and he's trying to save us from the evil monsters." She pointed to the other children. "He has to tag them all before he can come to save us."

"What do we do?"

"We're the princesses, so we say fancy things and give him a kiss on the cheek if he saves us."

"Sounds like you know what you're doing," Zelda said. "I'll follow your lead."

"That's a good idea." Kula smiled.

From down below, Link was counting down from ten as the other children moved into position.

"One! Ready or not, here I come." Link yelled and charged.

The children screamed as Link chased them all around the playground. They laughed and smiled as they ran away. From up above, Kula assisted Zelda with how to be a princess. Together they shouted words of encouragement to Link or told him to hurry up already.

Zelda couldn't help but smile as she watched Link interact with the kids. He was a natural, and they all seemed to love him. Link would make a great dad someday.

"Brave knight, hurry up! It's been a hundred years!" Kula shouted.

"Yeah!" Zelda added.

Link chuckled as he tagged another kid. "I'm coming, princesses!"

Soon Link had tagged all the kids and began climbing up the rock wall to Zelda and Kula.

"You saved me!" Kula said as Link reached them. "Your reward is a princess's kiss."

Link smiled and bent down so Kula could plant a kiss on his cheek. "Thank you, princess."

Kula turned to Zelda. "Well?"

"What?"

She crossed her arms. "You've got to give Link a kiss too."

Zelda blushed. "W-what? Um, I'm s-sure yours was good enough."

"Yeah, Zelda." Link's eyes twinkled. "Where's my kiss?"

Zelda rolled her eyes. "Well, if you insist."

"I do." Link shrugged. "It's my reward for saving you from the monsters."

"Well, then, my brave knight, thank you for saving me." Zelda stood on her tiptoes and kissed Link's cheek.

Kula clapped. "See! I knew you could do it. Can we play again?"

"If it means another kiss from you two, then for sure." Link winked at Zelda, and her heart skipped a beat. Why was he so good at making her blush?

"Don't get cocky now," Zelda warned. "Who says you'll win this time?"

"Oh, I'd do anything to save you." Link grinned--that crooked grin that made Zelda's heart race--and slid down one of the slides. At the bottom, he looked back up at her. "After all, I'm your knight in shining armor."


	15. Game

[Zelda]

"Are you sure about this?"

Zelda sighed and squeezed Link's hand. "No, but I'll have to do it eventually."

The pair were standing in front of Zelda's house after a beautiful day spent together.

"Do you want me to come in with you?" Link asked.

"No!" Zelda bit her lip. "I mean... thanks for the offer, but my father doesn't know that we're... um..." She let her sentence drift off because she didn't even know what she and Link were. "Um, I just think I need to deal with this on my own."

"Do you think your dad won't like me?" 

Zelda laughed. "Everyone likes you, Link, but my father doesn't even like me, so..."

Link frowned. "Why don't you just come back to my house? We could pick up your stuff and--"

"I can't." Zelda looked down. "As nice as that sounds and as much as I want to, I owe it to my mom to at least try and fix things."

"But your dad is--"

"Kind of a jerk? I know."

Link rocked back and forth on his heels. "Okay... fine. But if anything happens, you come right over to my house."

Zelda smiled. "You've got yourself a deal."

A light flickered on from inside the house, and Zelda knew she couldn't stall anymore.

"Thanks for the fun day," She said. "It was an absolute blast."

Link smiled fondly. "It was, wasn't it."

"Except when you almost got us kicked out of the buffet for eating too much!"

They both started laughing at the memory.

"You... you should've... seen the look on the cook's face!" Link said in between laughs.

Zelda clutched her stomach; it was starting to ache from laughing too much. "Oh, I heard enough from the table to understand." She lowered her voice to imitate the cook. "I just finished making this, and it's already gone? What kind of glutton are you?"

Link shrugged. "What can I say? She should've seen it coming. That hearty radish soup was to die for."

The two stopped laughing, and a heavy silence filled the air.

"Well," Zelda took a deep breath. "Here I go."

"Wait."

She turned back, and Link engulfed her in a hug. 

"Remember what I said last night." He whispered into her hair. 

Zelda closed her eyes and drew him closer. "I will."

Link pulled back and grinned. "Well then, go get 'em, princess."

Zelda rolled her eyes, trying not to smile. He had been calling her that ever since they had left the playground. She wasn't going to tell him, but she loved it. 

"l will, my knight," She said, giving him a small curtsey.

Link gave a slight bow, his joking smile giving way to a worried frown. "Good luck."

"Thanks." Zelda turned and, pushing aside her doubts and fears, walked up the steps of her house and opened the door.

Inside she found her father resting in a recliner by the fireplace. He looked up from his newspaper as she entered.

Zelda nodded at her father, and he nodded back, returning his attention to his reading. 

Zelda bit her lip, wondering if she should say something, but she didn't. The nod they had shared had said more than words could. It was a silent agreement that they wouldn't mention what had happened, and things would continue as normal. They would continue to live in tolerable silence. 

Zelda could deal with that, so she turned on her heel and headed to her room.

"Where did you get that sweatshirt?"

Zelda paused and turned back to her father, who still had his nose buried in the newspaper.

"I forgot mine, so I borrowed one of my friends," She said.

He nodded slowly, his eyes never leaving the newspaper. "Well then, goodnight Zelda."

She turned her back to him. "Goodnight, father."

Somehow she managed to make it to her room before angry tears escaped her eyes. She swiped at them furiously--she was so tired of crying. But she had done it. The most awkward and hard part was done, and hopefully, over time, things would return to normal between her and her father.

Hopefully.

***

[Link]

The buzzer blared, and the crowd erupted.

Link blinked the sweat out of his eyes. The scoreboard read Goron High School: 84 and Hyrule High School: 86.

The game was over. They had won. Hyrule High School was now the basketball state champions.

Link barely had enough time to process this before being engulfed by the rest of his team swarming the court. There was a lot of shouting, cheers, high fives, and even some teary eyes in the mass of sweaty bodies.

The team wasn't alone on the court for long. The student section flooded onto the court, too, adding to the mayhem.

"Link!"

He turned to Zelda forcing her way through the crowd, followed closely by Malon and Navi. She held a large poster in her hands that read: #16 on the court #1 in our hearts. The sign had made him blush when he'd first seen it during the game. 

"You. Did. It!" Zelda squealed when she reached him. Her face shone with a beaming smile, and she was bouncing up and down. "Link, oh my gosh, can you believe it? I knew you'd win. I knew it. I knew it!"

"I mean..." Link's face was bright red from Zelda's compliments. "It's not like I did anything impressive."

"Nothing impressive?" Zelda's mouth hung open. "You just won the state basketball game? That's not impressive."

"I guess if you put it that way..."

Zelda laughed, cutting him off. "Come on, admit you were pretty awesome."

Link grinned. "Okay, I was pretty awesome."

"See? Was that that hard?"

"Oh, it was excruciating."

Zelda slapped him playfully on the arm.

"Sorry, sorry." Link laughed.

"Oh, look at you two love birds," Malon awed as she and Navi finally caught up with them. She gestured at the swarm of people surrounding them. "Getting through that crowd is a nightmare!"

"A nightmare of sweating, stinky people," Navi added.

"Who are you calling stinky?" Sheik asked, appearing behind Malon and Navi.

Malon turned and fiercely hugged Sheik. "You did it! I'm so proud of you!"

"T-thanks." Sheik's face was red.

The two of them drifted away from the group and appeared to be having an intimate conversation.

"And Malon called us the love birds," Zelda whispered to Link.

Link chuckled and took her hand. "Aren't we?"

"If anything, I'm a beautiful swan and--"

"And I'm a plain old pigeon?"

"I was going to say cucco, but that works too."

Link started laughing, Zelda knew perfectly well how he felt about cuccos. 

"What's so funny?" Navi asked.

"Oh, nothing much." Zelda smiled, but it seemed a little uneasy. "Just teasing Link."

Navi's eye twitched. "About what?"

"Uh..."

Link cut in. "It was an inside joke."

Navi opened her mouth but then closed it. "You know what, never mind."

"Are you upset?"

Navi's gaze flickered down to Zelda and Link's intertwined fingers. She met his gaze and hesitated. "I... um..." She gulped. "Yes, okay. Yes, I am upset."

"About what?" Link asked.

Navi glanced at Zelda. "About her."

Link prickled. "What about her?"

"Maybe we should talk about this later," Zelda interjected. "I think our emotions are a little--"

"Can you please stop talking, Zelda?" Navi clenched her fists. "Just stop being nice for a few seconds." 

Zelda cowered and moved slightly behind Link.

"Listen, Navi. I think Zelda's right." Link squeezed Zelda's hand, offering her reassurance. "Let's go into the hall or--"

"Why did you choose her?"

Link froze.

Navi had tears in her eyes. "You told me it wouldn't work out between us because you had to focus on basketball, but that doesn't seem like a problem for you now."

"Navi--"

"What's so good about her, anyway?" Navi scoffed. "I'm just as pretty, just as nice, just as smart."

"Navi, stop."

"She was just a friendless loser until we decided to take her on as a charity case!"

"NAVI STOP!" Link yelled, causing a few people around them to jump, but he didn't care. Zelda was now almost entirely behind him, and he could feel her hand shaking in his. "This has nothing to do with Zelda and everything to do with you."

"What?!"

"Has it ever occurred to you that I just wanted to be friends? That maybe this doesn't have anything to do with Zelda and everything to do with me?" Link took a deep breath. "Look, I value our friendship, and I care about you, but not in the way you want me to care about you. I'm sorry, Navi, but I just don't."

A tear escaped Navi's eye. "So after all these years, you're choosing her."

"I'm not choosing anyone."

"Well, I'm making you." Navi sobbed. "It's either her or me because I can't stand her anymore."

Link sighed. "Don't make me choose because you won't like my answer."

Navi cried out in rage and slapped Link. Zelda gasped, and his cheek stung as Navi disappeared back into the crowd.

"Are you okay?" Zelda asked.

Link rubbed his face where Navi had hit him. "I'm fine."

"I'm sorry, Link."

Link looked at her, surprised. "For what?"

Zelda stifled a sob. "I r-ruined your friendship with N-Navi."

"Hey, hey." He wiped one of her tears away with a brush of his thumb. "You didn't do anything wrong; it was all Navi. Freshman year, she wanted us to date, but I told her no. She's just angry and didn't want to take it out on me, so she channeled it towards you."

"Do you think we can still fix things with her?"

Link smiled at her. "I think we can, but Navi needs some time to cool off."

"Maybe we can still salvage the night?" Zelda smiled. "We should do something to celebrate your big win."

Link nodded. "Ice cream sounds pretty good to me."

Zelda smiled, and Link once again took her hand. Though he didn't want to hurt Navi's feelings, Link knew he would pick Zelda over anyone in a heartbeat.

***

[Navi]

Navi stormed out of the gym's door. She was furious at Link but mostly at Zelda. Ever since the first time she had eaten lunch with them, Link had focused on her and made special efforts to make her feel included. Link was always smiling at Zelda or holding her hand, and it made Navi's blood boil. Why wouldn't Link do that with her?

But she knew why. Link had said it himself, he didn't like Navi the same way she liked him, and he never would. But Navi didn't want to admit to herself that things between them were over.

"Why the long face?"

Navi came to a halt and looked over her shoulder. Ganondorf was leaning casually against the hallway wall.

"I'm not in the mood for your mind games Ganondorf," Navi spat.

Ganondorf kicked off the wall. "From your tone, I take it pretty-boy just rejected you again."

Navi was silent.

He tapped his chin. "And not only that, but he chose Zelda over you, didn't he?"

Navi glared daggers at him. "It's frankly none of your business."

"I won't tell you 'I told you so' if that helps at all."

"It doesn't." Navi turned on her heel and started again down the hall.

"My offer still stands."

Navi stopped. Her back to Ganondorf.

"I see I've tempted you," He said. "So what do you say? I just need a few simple things from you, and then I'll take care of your Zelda situation."

Navi paused, unsure of what she should do. She resented Ganondorf, but she was starting to resent Zelda even more. Plus, Navi was hurt, deeply hurt, and wanted things to go back to the way they were before Zelda showed up. Sure, Zelda was lovely and all, but Navi was tired of having to share her friends and Link with her.

Navi turned back to Ganondorf and held out her hand, not caring what the consequences would be. "Deal."

Ganondorf shook her hand, a wicked grin spreading over his face.

"We aren't going to hurt her, are we?" Navi asked.

"Of course not." Ganondorf chuckled, and a shiver of fear ran down her spine. "I'll be in touch soon."

Navi nodded and continued on her way. She looked back down the hall before heading outside to see Ganondorf leaning against the wall again. He gave her a slight solute, and a nauseous feeling settled in Navi's stomach. She gulped and headed outside, unsure if she had made the right choice.


	16. Fun

[Link]

"Link, you're going to be late!" yelled Calla.

"Yeah, you can't keep your girlfriend waiting," added Aryll.

"I'm coming. I'm coming." Link said, checking his appearance once again in the mirror. He was going for the ruggedly-handsome-but-I-didn't-try-at-all look, but he had been trying for the last thirty minutes.

He ran down the stairs. "Mom, does my hair look okay?"

"Oh, you look so handsome!" Calla's voice caught, and she held Link's face in her hands. "My little boy is all grown up and going to prom."

"You can't cry yet, mom. It's only the day date." Link extracted himself from his mother's grip. "And I'm almost late, so I've got to zoom."

"Remember to hold open the doors for Zelda and to give her your jacket if she gets cold," Calla said, following Link out of the front door. "Oh, and have fun!"

Link laughed as he opened his car door. "Don't worry, mom. I've got this."

"I wouldn't be so sure," Aryll said, appearing behind her mother.

Calla hushed her and gave Link a thumbs up. "You've got this."

Link ignored the nerves forming in his stomach. "Thanks, mom."

"Now go! You're going to be late."

Link laughed and got in his car. The clock read 12:25--He could make it.

Link sped through the back roads to Sheik's house; luckily, no cops were around. He pulled into Sheik's long driveway at 12:30, perfect timing. He parked behind Malon's car before getting out.

"See, I told you he would be on time," Sheik said, as he and Malon exited his house.

Malon rolled her eyes and handed Sheik a few rupees. "Yeah, yeah."

"Where's Zelda?" Link asked. "Is she still inside?"

"No, she's running late," Malon said.

The screeching of tire wheels caught their attention as Zelda pulled into the driveway. She parked behind Link and hopped out of her car, dropping her keys.

"Sorry, I'm late," She said, stooping down to pick up her car keys. "I had some...um... trouble this morning."

Link frowned. "Everything okay?"

"Yep!" Zelda smiled. "Everything is good, now let's get going."

"That's the right attitude," Sheik laughed. "Everyone to the Sheikmobile!"

"No one, besides you, is going to call it that," Malon teased.

"Are you sure everything's okay?" Link whispered. He and Zelda fell a few steps behind Sheik and Malon.

Zelda sighed. "It's just my father."

"Oh?"

"He wants... he wants to talk to you before the dance tonight." Zelda looked up at Link, her brow furrowed. "I don't know why and I told him not to--"

"I'll talk to him."

"I don't know, Link. My father has been snappy after our fight, and I don't want him taking his anger towards me out on you."

Link smiled, trying to convince Zelda that he wasn't nervous at all. "Look, don't sweat it. I can handle whatever he's going to say to me."

Zelda squinted suspiciously. "Are you sure?"

"One hundred percent." Link gave her a reassuring wink.

"Come on, guys," Sheik called from the car. "Laser tag awaits."

"Let's not worry about it right now, and just focus on having a fun day," Link said as he held open the car door for Zelda, proud of himself for remembering.

"I can do that." Zelda slid into the car, thanking Link for holding the door open.

"Perfect." Link slid in next to her.

Sheik turned the car on. "Okay, ladies and gentlemen, let's get this party started.

Malon cheered, and Link and Zelda joined in too.

Sheik peeled out of his driveway, and all thoughts of Zelda's grouchy dad left Links mind. With his friends all laughing and Zelda's hand in his, Link couldn't be happier.

***

[Zelda]

Zelda tugged the strap on her laser tag vest tighter. The vest's heavy material weighed down on her chest.

"What should our team name be?" Sheik asked.

"Uh, the dream team," Malon suggested.

"We'll keep it in mind," Sheik laughed awkwardly. "You got anything, Link?"

Link stopped fiddling with his vest. "How about Hyrule Warriors?"

"I like it!" Sheik smiled.

"Oh, I like it too!" Zelda said.

Malon shrugged. "I mean, I guess it's okay."

Zelda nudged her. "Oh, come on."

Malon laughed. "You're right. It is a much better name than the dream team."

They all had a good laugh before the laser tag worker came over to brief them.

"... no gum, no jumping, no parkour, no hitting each other with your guns, no running..." The tired worker drawled on in a monotone voice. "...no breaking anything, no horseplay, and, oh, have fun."

The worker pressed a button, and the group's vest lit up blue.

"You'll be going against the Goron Gang. Their vests will light up with orange lights." The worker yawned. "The round starts in three...two...one..."

The laser tag course's door sprung open, and Sheik, Malon, Link, and Zelda ran in.

"No running," The worker called half-heartedly after them.

But all thoughts of following the rules left their minds as they entered the laser tag course. This particular course was pirate themed with two prop boats, barrels, and half-walls scattered throughout. All the obstacles and barriers were painted with neon paint, and the blacklight overhead lit the color up and any white the group was wearing.

From the other side of the room, four gorons entered their vests, flashing orange.

"Quick!" Sheik hefted his gun. "Hide or shoot or do... something!"

Malon took off and hid behind a wall, Sheik dove behind a barrel, and Link grabbed Zelda's hand--which she didn't mind at all--and dragged her with him to the nearest pirate boat. Together they ducked behind the ship's cheap plastic railing.

"So, what's the plan?" Zelda asked.

"Try not to die." Link peered over the railing.

"In this game? Or the dance?"

Link winked at her. "Both."

Zelda laughed. "Clever."

"They're coming this way," Link whispered.

"What do we do?"

"This!" Link jumped up and started firing his gun like a mad man at the enemy team.

Zelda jumped up right next to him and, lifting her gun, aimed.

The two gorons who had stumbled into Link and Zelda's ambush stood no chance. Their vests made a sad sound and blinked red twice, signaling they had died and now had to wait a few seconds before they could rejoin the game. The two of them grumbled and ran behind some cover.

"Good shooting!" Link said as he and Zelda high fived.

She grinned. "They stood no chance against us."

"Are you sure about that?"

The other two Gorons appeared from behind an obstacle, guns drawn.

"Get down!" Link jumped in front of Zelda, taking the goron's first shots.

Zelda dropped to the floor next to Link.

"Remember me..." Link said as his vest lights flashed red and made a sad noise.

Zelda smirked, playing along. "Don't worry, your bravery will be remembered. I'll avenge you!"

"Good." Link slumped his head down and pretended to be dead.

Zelda chuckled and peeked over the edge of the railing. The gorons were still there and seemed to think they had gotten both Link and Zelda. Those suckers were on for the surprise of their lives.

"Argh!" Zelda yelled as she vaulted off the pirate ship and charged them. The poor gorons didn't stand a chance. Their vests were flashing red before they even aimed their guns.

"That's my girl!" Link yelled from the pirate ship.

Zelda's heart skittered. What had he just said?

"Why is Zelda's face so red?" Malon asked as she and Sheik ran over.

"You better regroup." Sheik whisper-yelled to the gorons.

"Don't be mean." Malon dug her elbow into Sheik's ribs.

"What? It's a game."

Link joined them. "It's either kill or be killed in laser tag."

"We should stop hanging around and--" Sheik's vest started flashing red.

From all around them, the gorons emerged, and soon Link, Zelda, and Malon's vests were flashing red too. But, they hadn't gone down without a fight; two of the gorons were also out.

At the end of the round, a prerecorded, excited voice blared over the loudspeaker announcing the finished game. Sheik, Malon, Link, and Zelda exited the course to find the same exhausted worker scrolling through her phone.

"Oh, um, the scores are on the board over there." The worker pointed to a television screen hanging in the corner.

"Looks like the Hyrule Warriors won." Sheik flexed his muscles. "I wonder why."

"It wasn't because of you." Malon pointed. "Look, Zelda got the most eliminations."

Link squinted. "You're right! Good job, Zelda! You're incredible."

"I mean, yeah, I guess." Zelda flushed.

"Are you ready for the next round yet?" The worker asked not looking up from their phone.

"Oh yeah, we're ready--ready to win!!" Sheik said, speaking for the whole group.

"This time, you'll be playing on the castle course. Do I need to repeat the rules? No? Good." The employee pressed another button, and a different door swung open.

Zelda grinned at Link before leading the group into the next course.

They won all but one of their rounds. But they all decided it must have been a technological glitch since there was no way they could've lost.

At the end of the day date, they pulled back into Sheik's driveway laughing and in high spirits.

"Now, if you don't mind, Zelda and I need to go get ready," Malon said.

"Oh, come on, it's barely 3:00!" Sheik complained.

"You won't be complaining about it when you see how fabulous we look." Malon flipped her hair over her shoulder. "Trust me."

Sheik crossed his arms. "Ugh, fine."

Link leaned over to Zelda. "Are you feeling better?"

Zelda smiled, she was feeling better, but the thought of her father talking to Link still made her want to punch something. That's why she had been late earlier; she had gotten into a little skirmish with her father about him talking to Link. Zelda thought she should know what her father was planning to speak to him about, but her dad couldn't care less about her opinion.

"Yeah, that was fun." Zelda smiled at him. "But whatever my father says, don't let it intimidate you, okay?"

"I'll take it with a grain of salt." He held his hand over his heart. "I promise."

"Come on, Zelda, chop-chop!" Malon called, already walking over to Zelda's car.

"See you later then," Zelda said, waving.

"Can't wait," Link smiled and waved back.

Zelda got in her car and backed out of Sheik's long driveway.

"You ready to get ready?" Malon squealed. "Cause I sure am! You're going to let me do your make-up, right?"

"Seeing as I have no idea how to do make-up, I sure hope you are." laughed Zelda.

"We're going to look so beautiful tonight that the boys will fall in love all over again!"

Zelda smiled at the thought. "That sounds wonderful."


	17. Prom

[Link]

"Stop freaking out," Sheik said.

Link fidgeted with the collar of his shirt. "I'm not freaking out."

"Yes, you are." Sheik opened the car door. "Now come on."

Link opened his door, too, stepping out onto Zelda's driveway. It was 6:00, and his mom had dinner waiting for them across the street. He hated to admit Sheik was right, but Link was slightly freaking out. Over the past three hours, he had envisioned all the wrong ways his conversation with Zelda's dad could end, and he couldn't stop the feeling of dread settling in his stomach.

Sheik knocked on Zelda's front door, and Link put on his best smile, hoping that Zelda would open the door. No such luck, the door swung open to reveal Zelda's father.

"Come on in, boys," He said. "I'm Rhoam King, Zelda's father. The girls are almost done getting ready."

Link and Sheik entered, introducing themselves.

Rhoam placed a hand on Link's shoulder. "Can I have a word with you in my office, young man?"

Link gulped. "Of c-course, sir."

"Great." Rhoam smiled, but it seemed forced. "Sheik, you can take a seat on the couch until we're done."

Sheik nodded, and Rhoam steered Link into his office.

"Take a seat," said Rhoam, closing the door and pointing to an uncomfortable-looking chair in front of a massive, expensive desk.

Link sat down, wiping his sweaty palms on his pants.

"So you're Link," Rhoam observed coming to sit across from Link, behind the desk.

"Yes, I am, sir."

"I'll get right to the point then, Link. What are your intentions with my daughter."

Link smiled. He had practiced questions like this with his mom before coming. "Zelda is awesome and a great friend of mine. I just want us to have a fun evening."

"So you don't like her?"

Link furrowed his brow. "Of course I like her. I just said that we're friends."

Rhoam rolled his eyes. "I meant, do you like her as more than a friend?"

Link paused, unsure of how to answer. He'd heard from Zelda how overprotective Rhoam was despite hating her. What should he say?

"I don't know how you expect me to answer that, sir."

"I see," Rhoam narrowed his eyes. "Let me make one thing very clear. Zelda is all I have, and if anyone were ever to give me a single reason to believe she may get hurt either physically or emotionally, I would not hesitate to pull her from school and keep her nice and safe here."

"What--"

"I know you must think me an awful father, but I have Zelda's best interests at heart."

"Do you really, sir?" Link stood up. "How would locking her up, away from her friends, be in her best interests?"

Rhoam stood up as well and brought his face mere inches away from Link's. "I'll never have to lock her up if she never gets a boyfriend. So I guess the choice of her fate is in your hands, isn't it, Link."

Link's hands curled into fists. "That isn't fair."

"I never said it was." Rhoam straightened. "Zelda has been through enough. I won't let some careless boy toy with her emotions. I won't let you hurt her."

Link wanted to scream that Rhoam was the one who was hurting Zelda. How dense could he be not to see that he was the problem? Link was seconds away from punching Rhoam and just taking Zelda to live at his house when a knock sounded on the door.

"Uh, Link? Mr. King?" Sheik called through the door. "The girls are ready."

"Perfect timing." Rhoam smiled. "And, Link, I would appreciate it if you didn't mention any of the specifics of this conversation to Zelda."

"And why should I do that?" Link growled.

"Let's just say... you wouldn't like the outcome."

Rhoam patted Link on the shoulder as he made his way to the door. It took all the control Link had not to start yelling at Rhoam. If he did, he might only make things worse for him and Zelda.

"Are you okay, man?" Sheik whispered to Link as he left the office.

Link glared at Rhoam's back. "Not really."

"What did he say?"

"Basically that if I date Zelda, then he'll lock her up."

Sheik raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

"Yes, now keep your voice down," Link said, noticing Rhoam glancing over at them. "Act like everything is normal."

"Are you guys ready?" called Malon's voice from down the hall.

"Oh yeah," Sheik said back, his face melting from worried to excited in a millisecond.

From down the hall, Malon appeared wearing a gold dress. Her hair and makeup were done exquisitely.

"Wow, you look amazing!" Sheik said, moving to take her hand. "Just wow."

Malon grinned. "Thank you! You cleaned up pretty nice yourself."

As Malon walked further out of the room, Zelda emerged, and Link's heart stopped. All thoughts of Rhoam's threat leaving his mind as he took in Zelda's beauty. Her dress was stunning. It looked like the night sky with deep blue fabric and diamonds spread across it. Her hair was done up in an elegant half-up style, and she had just enough makeup to accentuate her abundant natural beauty. Link thought she looked like a princess--the most gorgeous princess he'd ever seen.

"Zelda... you look..." Link stared into her eyes. "You look breathtaking."

She blushed."T-thanks. You look good in a suit; it suits you."

Link smiled. "Thank you. It looks like we'll make an attractive couple."

Rhoam cleared his throat and cast Link a threatening look before smiling at Zelda. "You look wonderful, my dear."

"Thanks, father," Zelda said.

"We should probably head out," Sheik said. "Calla has dinner ready and waiting for us."

The group all headed for the door.

"Zelda," Rhoam said.

She turned back. "Yeah?"

"I'd prefer it if you'd take your car."

"Dad--"

"Just in case you need to leave early." He gave her a stern look.

Zelda looked at Link, and he nodded, letting her know it'd be okay.

Rhoam handed Zelda her keys. "Have a fun night."

"Thanks, I will," She said as she followed the others out of the door.

As soon as the door swung shut behind them, Zelda stomped her foot. "Ugh! I can't believe him!"

Link took her hand, first making sure that her dad wasn't looking out any windows. "It's okay. We'll follow his stupid rules just to keep the peace."

"Did he talk to you?"

"Uh... yeah."

Zelda's face scrunched in fury. "What did he say? He better not have said anything rude."

"It's fine. I'm fine." Link smiled, showing her he was okay. "It was just typical dad stuff." He hoped Zelda didn't call him out on his lie.

"You know what? I've been looking forward to tonight for what feels like forever, and I'm not going to let my controlling father ruin it."

"That's the spirit!" Malon cheered. "Now, can we get going? I'm starving."

Link laughed. "Okay, okay. Let's go."

He offered his arm to Zelda. "My princess."

Zelda beamed and took his arm. "My knight."

"You look radiant," Link whispered in Zelda's ear as they walked a few paces ahead of Sheik and Malon towards Link's house.

Zelda moved in closer to him. "Thank you. Is it weird if I think you look radiant too?"

"Not at all. I'd be offended if you didn't." Link teased.

Zelda giggled. "Well, I'm glad no offense was taken."

Link smiled down sweetly at Zelda, enjoying her closeness. He was the luckiest guy in the world to have the kindest, most amazing, and most beautiful date to prom.

The rest of the evening flew by, from the exchange of corsages and boutonnieres to dinner to pictures. Eventually, the group ended up at the dance. A slow song was floating over a crowd of their nicely dressed peers on the dance floor. The venue was beautifully decorated with blue and gold banners and flowers—a long table filled to the brim with refreshments spread across the left side of the room.

"This looks like the rager of the year," Sheik said.

"Well then, let's go dance!" Malon grabbed his hand and dragged him towards the dance floor.

"I was being sarcastic," Sheik cried, but it was too late for him.

"Well, your majesty, care for this dance?" Link asked, bowing and holding his hand out.

Zelda curtsied and took his hand. "I thought you'd never ask."

Link escorted Zelda to the dance floor, and they began dancing.

"Those two are just made for each other," Zelda noted, glancing at Sheik and Malon, who were dancing nearby.

"Like us?" Link knew it was a serious question, but he needed to know if Zelda felt the same way he did. He thought she did, but he had to be sure. 

Zelda looked up at him, a blush spreading across her face. "Link... what are you saying?"

He took a deep breath. "I'm saying that I like you."

"Like as a friend?"

"No, not like that." Link held her gaze. "Zelda, you're the most amazing girl I've ever met. I enjoy being around you, and you make me want to be a better person. I know you might not feel the same way--"

"Link... I like you too." 

"Oh, thank goodness, for a second there, I thought you were going to say I was disgusting or something."

"Don't worry. You're too amazing for anyone to think that."

"Well, the only person's opinion I care about is yours... and my moms, but that's kind of a given."

Zelda laughed. "Your mom is awesome--almost as awesome as her son."

Link smiled and wrapped his arms around Zelda's waist. She wrapped her arms around his neck, resting her head on his chest. Link took a deep breath, breathing in Zelda's familiar scent of strawberries. He closed his eyes, just enjoying her closeness.

"Link? Zelda?"

He opened his eyes to see Navi standing next to him and Zelda.

"Oh, hey, Navi." He and Zelda pulled apart, and not even the dim lighting could hide the deep scarlet of his blush.

Navi smiled, but it was forced. "I was wondering if I could talk to you, Zelda. I don't like how we ended things."

Zelda smiled. "Of course, why don't we go out in the hallway? If that's okay with you, Link. I don't want to leave you alone on our date."

Link gave her a thumbs up, trying to ignore the awkward tension between him and Navi. The last time they had talked was when she asked to borrow his phone to call her mom a few days ago. "Yeah, that sounds fine. I'll just go get some punch."

Zelda smiled at him one more time before following Navi out into an adjacent hallway. Link couldn't help but pump his fist in excitement once she was out of sight. Zelda, the coolest, most amazing girl ever, liked him back! This was the most incredible night of his life.

He danced to the refreshment table, where he got himself some fantastic punch.

"So, are you and Zelda a thing now?"

Link turned to happily reply yes to whoever had asked but stopped when he saw Ganondorf next to him.

"Don't look so disappointed," Ganondorf smirked.

Link turned back to his drink. "What do you want?"

"Nothing, I was just curious if you and Zelda are official yet."

"That's frankly none of your business."

Ganondorf served himself some punch. "I'm just looking out for Zelda. I've heard that her father is a controlling, manipulative jerk--"

"Sounds like you two have a lot in common." Link glared at him.

Ganondorf shrugged. "The point is that I've heard that her father would flip if she had a boyfriend. Even to the extent of pulling Zelda out of school."

Link froze, recalling the conversation he'd had earlier with Rhoam. "Even if that's true, like I said before, it's none of your concern."

"Oh, but it is," Ganondorf grinned. "You see, I've offered my services to Mr. King, and I'm to make sure that you don't try anything with Zelda."

Link scoffed. "Yeah, right."

Ganondorf pulled out his phone and showed a string of texts to Link. "Believe me now?"

"That could be anyone's number."

"Then how did I know about what Rhoam would do or that Zelda took her car here upon his insistence." Ganondorf took a sip of his punch.

Link's grip tightened on his cup. "Why are you doing this? You hate Zelda. You've bullied her for years!"

"Believe it or not, but I have Zelda's best interests at heart." Ganondorf chugged the rest of his drink. "So I'll ask you again. Are you and Zelda a thing now?"

Link's fists curled. The temptation to punch Ganondorf right in his arrogant nose was irresistible, especially since he could no longer be kicked off of the basketball team.

Ganondorf examined his nails. "I sure hope your answer is no. I mean, how selfish would you have to be to make Zelda lose all of her newfound happiness? All of her friends, including you, would be taken away, and she'd be left with only her abusive father, who hates her. I know that I could never do that to the person I love."

Link faltered; as much as he hated Ganondorf, he had a point. Could he do that to Zelda? If not being with her meant that she could still have friends and be happy, maybe it was worth it. After all, Rhoam had never said the Link and Zelda couldn't be friends. And maybe later, when she was no longer under her father's authoritarian rule, they could be together.

"I'll give you some time to think it over," said Ganondorf, sauntering away.

"Link?"

He turned to see Zelda, and he could tell something was wrong. What had Navi said?

***

[Zelda]

Zelda followed Navi out into the hallway. Navi was wearing a fancy, flowing light blue dress, and her hair was curled. Even though Zelda was pretty sure she hadn't been asked to prom.

"Sorry I had to pull you away from Link like that," Navi said, coming to a halt.

"No, it's okay," Zelda smiled. "I'm glad you want to talk because I do too." She put her hand over her heart. "I promise I never meant to hurt your feelings, Navi, and I had no idea you felt that way about Link."

"It's all good. That's all behind us now, but that's not what I wanted to talk to you about."

"Oh?"

Navi leaned in, whispering. "I need to tell you something about Link."

Zelda furrowed her brow. "What about him?"

Navi pulled out her phone and handed it to Zelda. "Take a look."

Zelda looked down to see a text string between Link and Navi.

~~~  
Navi: Hey, sorry about slapping you last night...  
Link: Don't worry about it. I hope we can still be friends.  
Navi: I've already expressed how I feel about that.  
Link: Oh, come on, Navi! You know I'm only friends with Zelda because Mr. Beedle asked me to, and to raise my math grade.  
~~~

Zelda glanced up at Navi. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"It gets worse." Navi reached over and scrolled down some more, revealing an even worse text.

~~~  
Link: Have you been asked to prom yet?  
Navi: No  
Link: I think you should show up anyway  
Navi: Why? Aren't you going with Zelda?  
Link: I mean, yeah... but you should still come. And wear something cute!  
~~~

"I don't believe this." Zelda tried to hand the phone back to Navi. "You're probably faking it." 

"I'm not! Look at the phone number."

Zelda tapped on the screen till she reached the contact's phone number, and sure enough, it was Links. She didn't even have to double-check; she had memorized it ages ago.

"Excuse me," Zelda handed Navi the phone back and turned away. "I need to talk to Link."

Navi grabbed Zelda's elbow. "Wait, Zelda, I'm showing you this because I care about you. I don't want Link to break your heart like he broke mine."

"Too late." Zelda felt like crying, but no tears came. Her heart ached, but she couldn't be sure of anything until she talked to Link. Maybe one of his friends had stolen his phone, or he'd been hacked or... or anything other than him using Zelda to get a good grade.

But that didn't seem like Link at all. He would never purposefully hurt her, or at least she thought he wouldn't. But maybe Link was just as fake as everyone else in this school.

She refused to believe anything until she spoke to Link. 

Zelda pulled free of Navi's grip and walked back into the dance. She spotted Link at the refreshment table and made her way over.

"Link?" She called when she was close enough for him to hear.

Link turned to face Zelda with a scowl on his face, but it turned into a look of worry when he saw her. "What's wrong? What did Navi say?"

"Is it true that Mr. Beedle asked you to be my friend?" Zelda asked, putting on a brave face.

Link stared at her, puzzled. "Yeah, and it was the best piece of advice I've ever received."

"And that text to Navi about Prom?"

"What text?"

Zelda smiled, relieved that this all had to be a huge misunderstanding. "You know what? Nevermind." She held his hand, her heart now full. "So what do you want to do now, boyfriend?"

Link flinched and looked at his feet. "Zelda, I don't think you should call me that."

Her smile faltered. "Why not?"

"I... um... exaggerated my feelings earlier."

Zelda let go of his hand. "So you don't like me."

"Ye--I mean no." Link clenched his fists. "No, I don't like you." 

"I knew it." Zelda laughed madly. "I knew it was too good to last. You're just as fake as everyone else!"

She turned away from him. This, along with the texts Navi had shown her, confirmed that Link was using her. He'd strung her along and made her believe that she might amount to something.

"Zelda," Link reached for her, but she jerked away.

"Don't touch me, Link!" Angry tears fell from her eyes. "How could you? How could you make me think that I was worth something--that someone cared about me?"

"I do care, Zelda, I do."

"No, you don't." She hissed through her teeth. "You don't care about anyone but yourself."

"It's not what you think."

"Not what I think?" Zelda scoffed. "Let's see; the popular jock needs a good grade in math. He notices this lonely loser who can help him, so he convinces her that he cares--convinces her that he loves her--and then he drops her just like everyone else in her life has!"

"Zelda, stop, please." Link's voice was shaking. "Let me explain."

"What I don't get is why you kept up the ruse. You had your excellent grade in math, so why did you keep leading me on?" She sobbed. "Why, Link? Why did you do it? It might have been fake to you, but it was real to me!" 

Zelda wiped at her eyes. "The truth is... I love you, Link, and I wish you the best in life. But I can't... I can't be a part of this lie anymore."

Zelda turned away from Link, trying to stifle her sobs. She couldn't think straight; all she wanted to do was go home and cry.

"Zelda, wait." Link ran after her, and it sounded like he was crying too. "It's not fake at all. If we could just speak in private, I can explain everything."

Zelda refused to meet his gaze. "I don't want to listen to you right now, Link."

"Is he bothering you?" Groose asked, coming out of nowhere.

Zelda looked straight into Groose's eyes. "Yes, actually, Link is bothering me. Would you please restrain him so I can leave?"

Groose nodded. "You've got it!"

"What? No--"

Zelda heard the scuffle behind her as Groose tried his best to restrain Link.

"Zelda," Link yelled after her. "Please, don't go. I... I love you too."

Zelda sobbed, refusing to turn around. That was the biggest lie of them all.

She arrived at her car, one hundred percent certain that both her makeup and love life were ruined. Zelda climbed into the front seat, glad for once in her life that her dad had required her to drive herself. It took her a second to fit all of her dress's poof into the car.

Zelda still couldn't believe what had happened. She had been so sure that Link had felt the same way she had. When they had danced together, Zelda had felt so, so... happy. But she had been a fool. How could Link, the most popular and handsome person in school, actually fall for her? She had been crazy to believe for even a second that he had.

Zelda fastened her seatbelt and started her car. She lay her head against the headrest, debating on whether or not to pick up some ice cream on the way home.

"Don't scream." A deep voice said from directly behind her.

Zelda would have screamed anyway if she hadn't felt the press of cold metal at the base of her skull.

"Who are you?" She whispered.

"An old friend of your fathers." The man pushed the barrel of the gun harder into her skin. "Now, you're going to do what I say unless you want your head blasted to bits. Do you understand?"

Zelda nodded.

"Now start driving."

With shaking hands, Zelda pulled the car out of the parking lot. This night had not gone the way she had planned in the slightest, and it may yet end with her dead body being discovered in a dark alley. 

Suddenly Zelda was regretting her fight with Link. Maybe she had jumped to conclusions too quickly, but she couldn't think about that right now. She needed to focus on staying alive.

***

[Link]

"Here you go, buddy." Sheik handed Link some punch. "Now, can you tell me what happened?"

Link groaned. "I was a complete idiot, is what happened. Everything was going well, but I let Ganondorf and Rhoam's threats get in my head, and now Zelda hates me."

"I think hate is a strong word," said Sheik. "She's upset, but I'm sure we can clear this all up."

"Hey Link," Navi approached them. "Are you okay?"

Link glared at her. "No, I'm not. I got into a fistfight with Groose, and the girl I love ran away into the night crying."

Navi gulped. "Oh, yeah... sorry about that."

"What did you say to her earlier?" asked Link.

Navi fidgeted with her dress. "About that--"

"Link!" Malon came running in. Her hair was all messed up, and her eyes were wild."Sheik! Link!"

Sheik grabbed her shoulders. "What's wrong?"

Malon was trying her best to explain, but she was out of breath and panicking. "It's Zelda! I went out there--and oh no--I can't lose Zelda. Link, you have to help her... there was this guy with a... with a g-gun!"

"What?" Link shoved Sheik aside. "Malon, what about a gun and Zelda?"

Malon was sobbing now. "I went out to find her and saw her driving away. B-but there was this shadowy... shadowy figure in the back. He... he had a gun and was holding it against Z-Zelda's head!" Malon wailed, fresh tears rolling down her cheeks.

Sheer terror like Link had never felt before settled in his stomach. Zelda was in danger, and he was just standing here. He had to do something.

"Which way did they go?" Link demanded, grabbing his keys from his pocket.

"I don't know." Malon sniffed, and Sheik wrapped his arm around her. "I ran in here after I saw the... the gun."

"I know where they went," said Navi quietly.

Link swiveled around to face her. "What?"

Navi looked up at him. "I know where they're taking Zelda."

"How?"

Navi gulped. "I might have helped this happen."

Link took a step towards her. "What? You knew this was going to happen."

"All I knew about the plan was that I needed to convince Zelda that you didn't like her anymore," Navi explained hurriedly. "Ganondorf said that he wouldn't hurt her."

"You believed that Ganondorf--the man who's abused her for years--wouldn't hurt her?!" Link yelled.

Navi cowered. "I'm sorry! I just wanted things to go back to the way they were, and Ganondorf said he could help."

"Whatever!" Link clenched his teeth. "We'll talk more later, but right now, I need to know where they're taking Zelda. I won't lose her, not again."


	18. Goodbyes

[Zelda]

Zelda had a suspicion about where the man holding her at gunpoint was having her drive. Her hunch was proven correct when he ordered her to pull up next to a quaint house with dead flower gardens and a worn blue door.

"Get out, and act like everything is normal." The man commanded.

Zelda opened her door and, with some difficulty, extracted herself and her dress from the car. She felt the press of the gun on her lower back.

"Keep walking," the man growled.

Zelda stumbled a few times as she made her way to the front door. Her legs felt like noodles, and her hands were shaking so bad that she had to try once or twice to open the long-forgotten door.

Inside she was greeted by a familiar entranceway. A grand staircase led upstairs, and a doorway to the left led to the family room and the one straight ahead to the kitchen. And though Zelda knew that cleaners had long ago scrubbed away her mother's bloodstains, she thought she saw the faint outline of them at the base of the staircase.

Zelda felt another wave of fear as the man directed her to go upstairs.

At the top of the stairs, the man pushed her towards the left-- towards Zelda's old room. She stumbled, and, tripping on her dress, she fell hard against the floor.

"Get up," The man harshly gripped her upper arm and yanked her up.

Zelda bit her lip to stop herself from crying out in pain.

The man threw Zelda into her old room and closed the door. Zelda took in her surroundings. The room was as bare as she had left it four years ago. The blue-flowered wallpaper was peeling, and dust clung to every surface. The only thing that had changed was that there was a tall, burly figure looking out the room's window. But unlike the man in her car, Zelda knew who he was.

"Ganondorf," She hissed. "What do you think you're doing?"

Ganondorf ignored her question. "It's a lovely evening, isn't it?"

Zelda clenched her jaw. She had not been having a lovely evening at all. She had gotten into a fight with Link and then abducted at gunpoint. But Zelda couldn't think about that right now. She needed to figure out how to escape.

The best chance she had was to try and get out of here to get help, and Ganondorf seemed distracted enough right now. Zelda took a deep breath and took a step back towards the door, but Ganondorf pulled out a gun and pointed it at her while keeping his gaze out the window.

"I wouldn't do that if I was you," He said. "Now go stand in the middle of the room."

Zelda gulped and moved into the center of the room.

"Was prom everything you wanted it to be?" Ganondorf asked, finally turning to look at her.

Zelda didn't speak.

"Let me guess." He took a step forward, the gun still trained on her. "Link told you that he doesn't love you as you love him?"

Zelda glared at Ganondorf, wishing that looks really could kill.

Ganondorf laughed. "I can't believe how smoothly everything has worked out. See, hard work does pay off."

"W-what do you mean?" Zelda asked, trying to make her voice sound steady. "What p-plan?"

"It was simple." Ganondorf chuckled. "I reached out to your father and told him what a bad influence Link was and how he went around school breaking hearts. Then your father, being the complete jerk he is, threatened Link that if he made any advances towards you, then he'd take you out of school."

Zelda's eye twitched. That certainly sounded like her father.

"So at the dance, while I had Navi show you some fake texts that would shake your faith in Link, I had a little chat with him," Ganondorf smirked. "I reminded him of what your father would do if he found out about you two, and Link, being the good person he is, knew he had to end things, for your sake, of course."

Zelda's frow burrowed. Was that true? Link had said that he could explain everything to her in private. And that did sound like the Link she knew. But if that was the case, then that meant that it hadn't all been a lie. Link hadn't faked anything. Zelda's eyes widened--that would mean that Link loved her.

"Ah, I see you're starting to understand. All though it is a little late, seeing as you won't make it out of here alive."

"W-what?" Zelda looked up at Ganondorf. He had a murderous glint in his eyes.

"Do you think I'd bring you out here, explain my plan to you, and then let you live?" He clicked his tongue, shaking his head. "That's not how this is going to work."

"But why?" Zelda's mind was spinning as she tried to process everything that was happening. "What have I ever done to you?"

"What have you done to me?" Ganondorf got right up in Zelda's face. "Your family destroyed mine."

"I don't understand."

"Does the name Demise ring a bell to you?"

Zelda's heart stopped.

Ganondorf towered over her, fury burning in his eyes. "He was my father, the leader of the great Yiga Clan, and because of your father, he's dead."

Zelda withered under Ganondorf's hateful glare. "I'm sorry. I lost my mother too because of that case."

"Oh, I know," Ganondorf bent down to Zelda's height and stared her directly in her eyes. "I was the one who killed her."

Rage like she had never known flooded Zelda's body. Every muscle and bone in her body sang of their absolute loathing of Ganondorf. He was the one who had taken her wonderful, loving mother away from her. It was his fault that her father hated her; his fault that she had spent the past four years dreading coming home; his fault that her mother was buried in a lonely cemetery.

"Do you know what she said before I pulled the trigger," Ganondorf whispered, fiddling with Zelda's hair as he jabbed the gun into her ribs. "She said to spare you. She just kept on crying, begging for me to spare you."

"I'll kill you," Zelda whispered, her voice dripping with venom.

"Oh, sweet Zelda, I think you've got it all backward," Ganondorf smirked. "Now kneel."

Zelda contemplated her options and found she didn't have many. If she were going to die, she would die honorably and with her head held high. Still seething with rage, she knelt, her dress poofing out around her.

"Now take these." Ganondorf handed her a bottle of pills.

"What? Are you not brave enough to kill me yourself?" Zelda deadpanned, knowing she probably shouldn't try and provoke him.

Ganondorf just smirked. "This is supposed to look like a suicide, dear sweet, stupid Zelda. Why else would I bully you for years when a gun is so much easier?"

"Well, I'm sorry that the planning of my death was inconvenient."

"It's okay. I enjoyed it over the years. What better place is there to torture your enemies than a public high school?" Ganondorf also handed her a pen and paper. "Sign at the bottom there; it's for your goodbye letter."

Zelda snatched the paper away.

"Don't be so upset. All of this isn't your fault--it's your father's."

Zelda signed the paper with shaking hands, her signature a little crooked. "He's not going to care that I'm dead. He'll probably be happy about it."

Ganondorf took the paper back. "But I'll have ruined his career, and that's what truly matters to him. The media will eat this story right up. The daughter of a big-shot lawyer kills herself after being bullied both at school and home. No one will ever want to hire him again. Then I'll have taken away everything from him, and after I let him sulk for a few years, I'll take away his life too."

"Looks like you have everything figured out."

Ganondorf smiled. "I do, don't I? Okay, now swallow five of those pills."

Zelda looked down at the bottle. "It sounds like my supposed suicide is a pretty big part of your plan. What if I refuse to take the pills."

"Then I'll just shoot you and proceed to kill all of your friends," Ganondorf smirked. "I'll save Link for last."

"No!" Zelda gulped. "I'll do it as long as you swear not to hurt them."

"I swear."

Zelda wasn't sure if Ganondorf would keep his word, but if her compliance meant that no one else would die, then so be it. She unscrewed the bottle and shook five red and white pills into her hand.

"Got any water?" She asked.

Ganondorf rolled his eyes and reached into his coat pocket, mumbling something about spoiled brats.

BAM!

The door swung open and ricocheted off the wall. A blurred figure barged through and launched himself at Ganondorf. Ganondorf barely had time to turn his head before he was slammed into, the gun skidding across the room.

Zelda was in shock; the person who had come charging in was Link. How had he gotten here? 

She shook her head. Now was not the time for questions; it was the time for action. Zelda crawled towards the gun, spilling the bottle of pills all over the floor.

Link pinned Ganondorf to the ground, raising his fist. "What did you do to her? If you hurt her, I swear--"

Ganondorf rammed his head into Links, cutting him off.

Ganondorf threw Link off of him and stumbled to his feet. However, Link was already up, his fists cocked, and he socked Ganondorf right in the nose with his right fist.

Link hit him again, this time in the stomach. "That's for all the times you hit Zelda, you piece of crap."

Then again in the face. "And that's for all the hurtful things you called her."

Link tried to punch Ganondorf again, but Ganondorf stopped Link's fist with his hand.

"Glad you could make it, Link," Ganondorf spat. "Now I can make you watch as I kill her."

"No ones killing anyone!" Zelda yelled over them. She had retrieved the gun and was pointing it shakingly at Ganondorf.

Ganondorf raised his hands in surrender, baring his teeth.

Link smiled at her, relieved. "You're okay."

Zelda didn't take her eyes off of Ganondorf. "You could say that."

"Listen, Zelda, about earlier. . ."

"It's okay, Link. We'll talk about it all later." Zelda felt a bead of sweat slip down her back. "For now, let's just say we love each other and work on getting Ganondorf behind bars."

"I told Sheik to call the police, so hopefully, they're on their way," Link said.

"No police can stop me," Ganondorf said. "I'm the leader of the Yiga Clan!"

"Be quiet." Zelda moved a step closer to Ganondorf. "I won't hesitate to pull the trigger."

"Oh, I don't doubt it," Ganondorf smirked. "But I'm very positive you're a terrible aim."

With that, he ducked down and ran out of the room. Link cried out in surprise and chased after him. Zelda brought up the rear, cursing her impractical heels.

On the landing, in front of the stairs, Link and Ganondorf were back to fist fighting, but this time Link didn't have the element of surprise in his favor. Ganondorf was on the offensive, and Link was barely dodging or blocking his assaults.

"You shouldn't stick your nose in other people's business!" Ganondorf growled as he overpowered Link and, with a fierce blow, sent him tumbling down the stairs.

"Link!" Zelda cried.

She watched in horror as he landed hard at the bottom of the stairs. His fall had been so hard that the decorative piece on the end of the railing had broken off. She could also see some red mixed in with the blonde of his hair.

Zelda moved to help him, but her feet caught once again on her beautiful dress. She cursed as she, too, tumbled down the stairs, landing on Link.

"Sorry, I'm so sorry," Zelda mumbled as she tried to stand up, which was made difficult as she was tangled up in layers of tulle and satin.

"It's fine," Link said, slightly dazed. ". . . My head hurts."

"It looks like you hit it on the banister on the way down," Zelda said as she clambered to her feet. "You might have a concussion."

"Is my hair all ruined?"

Zelda helped Link up. "That's what you're worried about? That's not really--"

The click of a gun made them freeze.

Zelda looked down at her empty hands and cursed. She must have dropped the gun on the way down.

"Turn around slowly."

"Stay behind me," Link whispered as they turned.

Zelda nodded and positioned herself slightly behind him.

"Oh, I see what you're doing there." Ganondorf chuckled. "You always were the hero, Link, but not this time. Come on out, Zelda, or I'll shoot him."

"Zelda, don't. . ."

Zelda ignored Link's plea and stepped forward; her head held high. "Go ahead, Ganondorf, kill me, but your plans are all messed up now."

"It's just a small inconvenience, that's all." Ganondorf took a few more steps down the stairs, brandishing the gun at Zelda's heart.

Link moved to step in front of Zelda, but Ganondorf clicked his tongue.

"Don't move Link." Ganondorf reached the bottom of the stairs. "My issue is with Zelda, not with you."

Link bristled. "If you have an issue with her, you have an issue with me."

Ganondorf pressed the gun into Zelda's stomach. "Link, you're going to drop to the ground and lay on your stomach."

"Okay, okay." Link laid down, following Ganondorf's instructions. "Can't we talk this out?"

"No, we can't."

Out of the corner of her eye, Zelda noticed Link's hand tightening around the broken piece of the railing, and hope fluttered in her chest. Maybe there was a way out of this after all.

"Now Zelda, you're going to come with me--"

"Ganondorf, please, just listen to me." Zelda needed to keep him talking so Link had time to do whatever it was he was planning. "I hate my father just as much as you do."

Ganondorf squinted at her. "What do you mean?"

"You said you wanted to take away everything he loves, right? While so do I." Zelda placed her hands over the hand Ganondorf was using the grip the gun. "Imagine all the hurt we could cause him if we work together."

Zelda slowly pushed the gun slightly away from her stomach. "We can still salvage this plan of yours. We could probably even make it better!"

Ganondorf tensed. "Why would you offer to help me?"

BANG!

Link had sprung up from the ground and whacked Ganondorf on the head with all his strength. But something was wrong; the gun had fired as well.

Agony spread from Zelda's torso throughout the rest of her body as Link tossed the banister's broken piece to the side. Ganondorf was crumpled, lifeless, on the ground.

"He should be out cold for a long time." Link spoke, but it sounded far away and distant.

Zelda's head spun, and when she touched her stomach, warm sticky blood came away. She stepped back but ended up tripping on her long dress yet again. Her tired, shocked body fell hard to the floor, causing another wave of pain.

She closed her eyes, trying to process what had happened. Ganondorf must have pulled the trigger moments before Link knocked him out.

"Zelda!" She opened her eyes to see Link crouching beside her, terror in his eyes. "What's wrong? Did he shoot you?"

Zelda tried to focus on Link, but the world was going in and out. "Link?"

"Shh, save your energy. Just focus on staying awake."

"I'm sorry about getting m-mad at you earlier." Zelda's breathing was heavy, and her whole body hurt, but she needed to talk to Link. "I w-want you to know that I love you."

"I love you too, and that's why you're going to be just fine. I'm going to check and see how bad it is." 

Link swore under his breath as he took in Zelda's wound.

"I was s-so... so lonely," Zelda muttered, her eyelids feeling heavy. "I thought that no one would ever care about me, but you did."

"That's right. I do care about you a lot, now hold still. I know some basic first aid."

Zelda felt a tear race down her cheek. "You know I used to wish. . . that I was a princess, and that a heroic knight w-would come and save me from all my t-troubles."

"Zelda--" Link bit his lip, tears filling his eyes.

"But a hero did come." Zelda used her remaining strength to cup Links face in her hand. "It was you, Link. You were my much-needed hero. Thank you so much."

"Stop talking like that." Link sobbed. "Stop acting like this is goodbye."

She rubbed her thumb back and forth, wiping away a few of Link's tears. "But I think it is goodbye."

"No, no, no. It's not goodbye. I refuse to let it be goodbye." Link took off his tie and used it to put pressure on her wound. "You're going to be fine, and then I'll... I'll..." But what he would do was cut off by another sob. "No. . . no! It's not working."

"Link. . ."

"HELP!" Link screamed, his voice cracking with desperation. "Help, someone, please."

Zelda would've chuckled if she'd had the strength. She, too, had once crouched here next to someone she loved trying desperately to save them. The parallels were uncanny, and she had a feeling she would die here just like her mother had years before.

"You know I've never been kissed," She mumbled. "I'm going to die. . . and I've never been kissed."

Link met her eyes, tears clinging to his eyelashes. "If you stay alive, Zelda, I'll give you a kiss worth living for, okay?"

"Mhmm. . ."

The world was blurry now, and she thought that sleep sounded nice. Maybe if she were asleep, all the unbearable pain would go away.

Link's screams for help grew further and further away, and Zelda gave in to the alluring promise of rest. The last thing Zelda saw before the world went black was Link's stunning blue eyes and lips mouthing for her to stay.


	19. Stay

**[Zelda]**

_Sirens._

Zelda's head hurt.

_Frantic voices._

Her body ached, and she wished the pain would go away.

_Stranger's talking over her. A strong hand in hers._

Zelda couldn't think straight.

_Stifled sobs._

She was in limbo between life and death.

_"Stay, Zelda. Please stay..."_

Zelda wanted to stay, but going was so much easier.

_"It's Link... please, Zelda, you have to stay."_

Link? She knew that name, and happy memories of a blonde-haired, blue-eyed boy came to mind. Zelda also had a feeling was also associated with that name. It took her disoriented brain a second to figure it out. But all the quiet mornings spent tutoring, all the smiles shared, all the jokes made, all the moments of comfort, all the beautiful simple time they had spent together added up to only one conclusion. Zelda loved Link, and if he were asking her to stay, then she would. 

She would stay for Link.

***

Zelda's body felt like it had been hit by a twelve-ton truck. That was one bad thing about her consciousness returning; she could now feel every ache and pain in her body. She groaned as she tried to force her eyes open.

"She's waking up!" someone cried from overhead.

"No way, are you sure?"

"Yes, now move out of my way."

Zelda winced. The voices, even though they had spoken in a whisper, assaulted her ears.

Zelda forced her eyes open. Blinking several times as she took in her surroundings. She was in a hospital room. There were balloons, stuffed animals, and flowers crammed onto every surface, and even a few rested on the floor. The soft beep of the medical machinery filled the room.

"Zelda?"

She glanced up to see Malon and Sheik sitting next to her bed. Zelda smiled at them.

Malon teared up. "Oh my goodness, you're awake!"

"I think so," said Zelda, her voice sounded rough and croaky.

"Hurry, Sheik, get her some water."

Sheik handed Zelda a glass of water that had been sitting on some of the available room left on the nightstand. "Here you go."

Zelda took a sip, enjoying the sensation of the cool water as it slid down her throat.

"I should go get Link," Sheik stood up. "He's going to freak out."

"Where is he?" Zelda asked.

Malon took the empty glass from Zelda. "He's been basically living here ever since... the incident... but Sheik and I came to take his place so he could go grab something to eat."

"It took us forever to convince him even to go get something from the vending machine." Sheik walked towards the door. "He didn't want to leave you. And if I don't go get him right now, I think I'll be in a hospital bed next to you."

Malon glared at him and scolded him about appropriate bedside manners.

"Oh, sorry," Sheik rubbed the back of his neck. "Guess I'll be off now."

Malon rolled her eyes as Sheik left.

Zelda tried to get up, but she cried out as white-hot pain seared through her body.

Malon gently pushed her back into her bed. "Take it easy. The doctors said that you were lucky that the bullet didn't permanently damage any of your organs. But you've still been shot, so don't push yourself too much."

Zelda complied and returned to her sitting position. "Malon, what happened?"

Malon took Zelda's hand. "Oh, it was terrible, Zelda. I saw you driving away at gunpoint the night of prom, so of course, I went and told Sheik and Link. Navi told us where you were, and then Link was gone, yelling at us to call the police."

Zelda recalled Link saying something about the police being on their way, so that made sense.

"We called, but they didn't believe us until we had Calla call them. We didn't know what had happened until we got a call from Link." Malon's voice caught. "He said you'd been shot and were in surgery. He said that the doctors weren't sure if you'd live."

Zelda looked down at her stomach. She could see the outline of bandages from under her hospital gown. She could vaguely remember the events after she'd been shot, but it was more like a fever dream than anything else.

"Link has been here ever since," Malon continued. "He's been worried sick about you--we all have."

"How long have I been out?"

Malon bit her lip. "Three days."

"And my father?" Zelda asked. "Has he been by?"

"Yeah, he came by but left after he and Calla got in an argument."

Zelda was about to ask what the fight had been about when the sound of hurried footsteps interrupted her.

Zelda looked to the doorway of the room. Link stood there, out of breath and slightly disheveled. He had dark circles under his eyes, and his hair could've used a run-through, but Zelda thought he looked just as handsome as always.

"Zelda?" Link asked, his voice breaking. He looked hesitant, almost as if he didn't believe his eyes.

Zelda smiled, holding out her hand to him. "It's good to see you, Link."

"Oh my goodness, Zelda!" He was at her side in half a heartbeat, taking her hand. Relief and joy shone in his eyes. "How are you feeling? Does it hurt? Do you need anything?"

"I think we need to go find a nurse or doctor," Sheik said to Malon, hovering by the entrance.

Malon stood. "Of course. We'll let you two catch up."

The two left, leaving Link and Zelda alone together.

Link pulled up a chair. "I'm so glad you're awake."

"Me too."

"For a second there, I thought that you'd. . ." Link's voice caught. ". . . never wake up."

Zelda squeezed his hand. "I couldn't leave you."

Link looked at her, his eyes filling with tears. He dropped his head, his shoulder shaking with sobs. "Oh, I'm so sorry, Zelda. I'm so, so, so sorry."

Zelda looked at him, confused. "Why are you sorry?"

"This is all my fault." Link rubbed her hand but refused to look her in the eye. "If I hadn't hit Ganondorf on the head, then the gun never would have fired. I was just so afraid that he was going to take you away, and the thought of him hurting you—but he _did_ hurt you. . . and it's all my fault, Zelda. I'm so sorry."

"Hey, look at me." Zelda waited until Link met her eyes. He looked like a heartbroken puppy. "It wasn't your fault."

"But I—"

"Did you pull the trigger?"

"No, but I might as well have."

"Link, if you hadn't knocked Ganondorf out, I would for sure be dead. You made the best out of an impossible situation." Zelda started to tear up as well. ". . . He was right about to kill me when you showed up, you know. But because of you and your fast thinking, I'm alive— _we're_ alive. You didn't hurt me, Link; you saved me."

"Thank you, Zelda." Link gave her a look that made her heart stop. It was full of love and hope. "Looks like even injured and exhausted, your still the strongest of us." He wiped away a few of her tears. "You've been through so much, but instead of letting it destroy you, you let it make you stronger. I admire you so much, more than you'll ever know."

Zelda gazed at Link, enjoying being in his presence. "How did I get so lucky to have you in my life? You know, I don't think I could've made it through everything without you."

"Don't worry; I'll help through everything else that's coming too. First, we'll worry about your recovery and then the trial."

Zelda paused. "The trial?"

Link ran a hand through his hair. "Oh yeah, I haven't told you yet, but the police have Ganondorf in custody. They want you to be the key witness in his trial, but only if you're up to it."

"He killed my mom, Link."

Link looked shocked. "What?"

"Ganondorf. . . he killed her." The rage she'd felt before reemerged. "He told me himself. So yeah, I'll testify. He deserves to rot in jail."

Link nodded his head. "I couldn't agree more."

Zelda released a shaky breath. It wouldn't do her any good to be mad right now. Plus, she needed more information. "You mentioned recovery?"

"Yeah, about that." Link nervously drummed his fingers on the bed. "My mom and your dad got in a fight about it."

"Really? Why?"

"Well, my mom thinks that your dad can't provide you with the care you're going to need to make a full recovery, so she thinks you should stay at our house till you're all better. He was not happy about that at all."

Zelda winced. "Yep, that sounds like him. My father doesn't like being told what he can and can't do."

Link squeezed her hand. "But at the end of the day, it's what you want to do, and don't feel like you need to decide right now."

Zelda sighed. "That's a relief. My head is still a little foggy, and trying to process everything isn't helping."

Link's brow furrowed with concern. "Here, I'll go call a doctor."

"No!" Zelda bit her lip. ". . . I mean, Sheik and Malon are already on that, right? So there's no need for you to go too."

Link grinned. "Oh, is that why you want me to stay?"

Zelda huffed. "And I also maybe don't want you to go, but that's beside the point."

Link laughed, and Zelda's heart was full. She was in pain, and she could tell that her recovery would be difficult, but at least she was still with Link. That's what mattered to her.

"Link?" Zelda asked.

"Yeah?"

Zelda fidgeted with the blanket covering her lap. "About prom. . . you didn't mean any of those things you said, did you? The stuff about exaggerating your feelings and. . . and you not liking me."

Link lifted Zelda's chin, so she had to meet his eye. "Not a word. I only said that because I was scared that your father would lock you up if we became a couple. I didn't want that to happen to you, but I still shouldn't have said those things. I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize. If it's anyone's fault, it's my father's." Zelda clenched her fists. "I can't believe he put you in that situation. But I'm glad you didn't mean those things."

"However, I did mean it when I said I loved you." Link cupped Zelda's face in his hand. "I love you, Zelda, I do."

"I love you too." Zelda rested her head in his hand. "Link?"

"Yeah?"

"I think you owe me a kiss worth living for."

A soft smile brushed Link's lips. "I think I do too."

Zelda's stomach fluttered with butterflies as Link leaned forward. Her eyes caught on his lips moments before they met hers. The kiss was hesitant at first but grew into one filled with longing and love. Link gently pressed Zelda into her pillows, the kiss deepening. Zelda melted into it. She had come back from the brink of death to be with Link again, but he was worth the trouble. 

Zelda smiled against the kiss. It was most definitely a kiss worth living for.


	20. Happily Ever After

**[Zelda]**

_Zelda ran down long hallways and corridors, but each resulted in a dead-end._

_"You can run, Zelda, but you can't hide."_

_She stifled a sob and kept running; a door appearing on her right. Zelda tried the handle and sighed in relief as the door swung open. She ran in and closed the door behind her. Hopefully, she would be safe in here._

_"Your blood will stain the carpet just like your mothers!"_

_Zelda covered her mouth, willing her breathing to calm down._

_The door flew open, and a grotesquely large man walked in. He resembled Ganondorf in many ways but was twice as large, and his skin seemed to be made of glowing goo._

_"You thought you could run from me," He approached her, pulling out a gun. "You can never escape me, Zelda. Never."_

_Zelda stumbled back, terror coursing through her veins._

_"Help!" She cried. "HELP! Link!"_

_The man was now mere inches away from her. "He won't be able to save you this time. This time you're all mine."_

_The man pulled the trigger._

Zelda awoke screaming. She was doused in sweat, and her now almost healed gunshot wound ached.

"Link!" Zelda sat up, still trying to tell reality from her nightmare. "Link, help me!"

The door to her room burst open, and Link stood there, outlined by the hallway light. His hair was messy from sleep, and his pajamas ruffled.

Zelda's breathing was frantic, and she felt like an enormous weight was crushing her down.

"I'm here, don't worry." Link sat next to her on the bed, wrapping his arm around her. "You're safe. It was just another nightmare. You're safe."

Zelda leaned into him, crying.

Link rubbed her arm. "You're safe. I'm here now. I promise I won't let anything bad happen to you. I'll keep you safe."

Zelda nodded, unable to talk through her sobs. Her nightmares had been getting better, but with the verdict of the trial a few days away, they had gotten exponentially worse.

"It was just a nightmare." Link whispered, kissing the top of her head. "It wasn't real."

"Will they ever g-go away?" She choked out.

Link pulled her closer. "It's only been a few months, Zelda. It would help if you were patient with yourself. You've come so far, but this recovery--both physically and emotionally--will take time."

Link was right. Zelda's recovery had been going as smoothly as could be expected. After her two-week hospital stay, she had decided to stay at Link's house until she had recovered. Zelda had talked it over with Calla, the doctors, and her father before making the decision. Her father wasn't too happy about it, but he couldn't deny that it was what was best for Zelda.

Thanks to Calla's care and Link's never-ending support, she was doing exceptionally well. Her wound was healed, and most of her strength had returned. The obstacle she was struggling with most was the mental and emotional aspects of her injury. Loud noises made her jumpy, and nightmares often plagued her. But, like usual, Link was always there to give her a comforting hug or hand squeeze or even to calm her down when she had a panic attack. The first month had been the most difficult, but she was getting better every day.

Zelda listened to the steady beating of Link's heart and slowly calmed her breathing down. She eventually stopped shaking, and her heartbeat returned to normal.

"What time is it?" Zelda asked, still wrapped up in Link's arms.

"Probably around 6:00."

Zelda nodded. "Okay, well then, I think I'll get up. I don't think I can fall back asleep, and I need to finish packing anyways."

"I'll help you."

"Are you sure? It's pretty early."

Link smiled. "Helping you pack sounds like the greatest thing in the world right now."

"Even over food?"

Link laughed. "Yes, even over food."

Zelda gave him a quick peck on the lips. "Right answer."

Link smiled. "Do I get another kiss after we finish packing?"

"Sure, why not."

Link leaped off the bed. "Then what are we waiting for?"

Zelda laughed. She loved how Link turned even her deepest frown into a smile--and she just loved Link.

"I'm coming." Zelda got out of bed too and switched on her lamp.

Over the past months, Zelda had turned the guest room at Link's house into her own. She and Link had brought over all her little decorations and posters from her home to hang up. Link, being the fantastic person he is, had even printed and framed lots of pictures of Zelda and Link to hang up as well.

"So what do you need to pack?" Link asked.

"Basically everything," Zelda said, as she picked up a duffle bag and tossed it onto her bed.

With the trial's verdict coming up, the Judge had recommended that Zelda not be in town when it was announced. That and the fact that school had just let out, Calla had decided that they would take a trip to Lake Hylia. She had rented a cabin and had spent all day yesterday shopping for food. They were leaving later today, so Zelda had pushed off packing as long as she could.

She pulled out a couple of shorts and shirts from her drawer, setting them in the duffle bag.

"You look nervous," Link said. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"I don't know Link." Zelda tried to stop her hands from shaking. "What if the jury finds Ganondorf not guilty? Then he'll be free to do as he pleases, and that. . . that scares me. "

Link hugged Zelda. "There is no way that they'll find him not guilty. There is mounds of evidence against him and not only yours, but mine, Sheik's, Malon's, and Navi's testimonies too."

Zelda buried her face in Links shirt. "It's just these nightmares. . . there all about him finding me again and this time you don't come to save me."

Link kissed the top of her head. "I'll always come to save you. There's nothing in this world that could prevent me from saving you, okay?"

"Okay," Zelda spoke in a small voice. She knew that Link would always be there for her, but, in her dreams, she couldn't shake the feeling that the reason why Link never showed up to save her was that Ganondorf had gotten to him first. Zelda couldn't bear the thought of Link dying, and she knew that by saving her from the Yiga Clan, he had painted a target on his back as well.

"But we're going to have a fun week at the lake," Link said, trying to cheer her up. "Aryll's going to bring her canoe, and we could go star gazing--the possibilities are endless!"

"First, I need to finish packing."

"No problem! We'll have you all ready to go in a cinch."

It was hard for Zelda not to get excited about the trip with Link's boundless enthusiasm. With his help, she was finally able to finish packing.

"And we're all done!" Link smiled, zipping up her duffle bag. "Look at us; we make a great team."

"That we do." Zelda stood on her tiptoes and kissed Link once again. "And there's your reward, my brave knight."

"Why, thank you, princess." Link lowered his head down and, wrapping his arms around Zelda's waist, leaned in for another kiss.

Zelda's arm snaked around Link's neck as the kiss deepened. They had kissed a thousand times by now, but every time Zelda felt the same thrill and joy from the first time they had kissed.

"Can I help you pack more often?" Link asked as they broke apart.

Zelda smiled. "That wasn't for helping me pack?"

"Not that I'm complaining or anything. . . but why then?"

"It's because I love you, silly."

Link grinned. "Oh, you love me? I had no idea."

Zelda kissed him again, effectively shutting him up.

"I love you too." He whispered as they pulled apart. "And not just because you're a good kisser."

"Link!" Zelda swatted him playfully on the arm. "That was cute until you ruined it."

"What?" Link grinned. "Don't worry. I fell in love with you way before I knew what an excellent kisser you are."

Zelda laughed, rolling her eyes. "Oh good, I was worried for a second there."

"Now that's settled, how about some breakfast?" Link took her hand and pulled her out of the room. "I can make whatever you want. French toast, pancakes, or I'll even make you a grilled cheese sandwich if you want one."

Zelda grinned as Link led her downstairs. There was no place she'd rather be in the whole world than at Link's side.

Zelda laughed as Link told her jokes while flipping pancakes. Her heart was so full of happiness and joy that she worried it might burst. Link was right; there was no way Ganondorf wouldn't be found guilty. He would be locked away for good, and she and Link would be able to continue living their lives.

It seemed like everything would work out in the end. Zelda smiled. Her happily ever after was on its way.

**THE END**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello readers! It is with much sorrow and happiness that I bring this story to an end. Sadness because I have ever so much loved writing this story and joy because of how far I've come. This story started over three years ago when I first started writing--it was the first fanfiction I'd ever written. But back then, it was three chapters long and, to be kind to my past self, I'll say that the writing wasn't up to my current standard. 
> 
> I didn't think I'd ever pick this story back up, but as my writing skills progressed, I decided to give this story another go. I gave what I'd written so far some much-needed revisions and then, after some brainstorming, kept writing--and I'm happy I did! I have loved writing this story, and I am incredibly proud of it and how far I've come as an author. I hope that you've loved it as much as I have.
> 
> So, in conclusion, thank you so much for taking the time to read this story. I hope it's been able to provide you with some entertainment at the very least, if not something more. Thank you again, and have a wonderful day. . . or night. . . or whenever you read this! 
> 
> Happy Reading!
> 
> ~HappyLlama160


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